


Beyond the Ebony Depths

by Jordy113



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Amputation, Anxiety, Autism, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Boris can talk, Canonical Character Death, Danger, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Good Boy Boris (Bendy and the Ink Machine), Good Guy Bendy (Bendy and the Ink Machine), Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Ink, Ink Bendy Can Talk, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Mind Control, Near Death Experiences, Needles, One-Sided Attraction, Past Torture, Platonic Relationships, Self-Insert, Suspense, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 63,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jordy113/pseuds/Jordy113
Summary: A 25-year-old college graduate named Jordy receives a flyer to attend an animation workshop at Joey Drew Studios. But once she gets there, she learns that it's all a set-up and the Ink Demon warns her to leave. Though she heeds his request and returns home, Jordy becomes interested in Bendy and decides to come back and see him. Does she make the right choice? Or will she put herself in more danger by staying with the demon?This is a story I co-wrote with a friend on Discord. Hope you enjoy.
Relationships: "Bendy" | Ink Bendy & Original Female Character(s), Boris & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66





	1. Workshop Deception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go back to edit some of these chapters, including this one, to add more description, make some changes, or just tweak the structure.

It was a warm day in the middle of May. A letter was sent out to Jordy, advertising a very special animation workshop at Joey Drew Studios. She was a girl in her mid-20s with long, brown hair. It shimmered in the sunlight with hints of red and was usually kept up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. Her skin was fair, almost pale, but she was healthy. Her face was round, with a small brown birthmark placed on her right cheek. She also sported a headband with a pair of pink cat ears that rested on top of her head, round dark rim glasses that covered her dark brown eyes, a seafoam green jacket that covered her mid-gray T-shirt, navy blue jeans, pink sneakers, and a decorative gray purse that she kept clutched to her at all times.

Jordy had recently graduated from college, earning her degree in animation, and was excited to attend this event. She had heard many great things about the company and wanted to see what they had done in the past and what lessons the man himself could give. Before she knew it, she had finally arrived, stepping out of the silver minivan and waving goodbye to her parents before walking up to the door. She opened it and went inside, looking around to find the other guests or staff members. It seemed pretty vacant and silent. And also a bit cold.

"Hello?" Jordy called out, the walls echoing loudly. "Is anyone here? I'm looking for the Animation Workshop!"

_**"** **Workshop?"**_ another voice bounced back. _ **"Hehehehe ... sounds like he found another sucker..."**_

Jordy was startled by the stranger's reply. The voice sounded rather ... sickly. Her nerves crept up as she walked closer to the shadowy opening in the hallway. "Wh ... who are you? C-can you come out so I can see you, sir? Please?"

_**"Trust me, little lady ... you don't want to see me."** _

"But ... why not? Are you trying to psych me out or something? 'Cause if you are, it's not funny."

The voice let out a slightly irritated sigh. _**"** **...Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you..."**_

Just then, an inky portal materialized on the ground behind Jordy and a figure emerged from it. He was tall, easily towering over her, and was so skinny you could see his bones rubbing against his ink-black skin. His horns were curved into a crooked half-moon shape and ink dripped over his eyes down to his teeth.

Jordy's skin crawled upon hearing the noise behind her. She almost didn't want to turn around to look, but after hearing a few droplets fall on the wooden floor, she rotated her head and body to see the tall, black, skeletal demon hovering over her. He was horrifying to look at.

By instinct, she let out a high-pitched scream and made a run for it.

The demon sighed. _ **"I tried to warn her, but nooo she wanted to see me. Feh...** **"**_ He slipped back into his inky portal, which led him to the place he believed where Jordy would be running towards.

Jordy thought she had lost the demon, hoping he wasn't chasing after her. But just as she turned her head back to look, her body slammed into something that blocked her path. It was wet and sticky with ink, which made her realize he was standing right in front of her. "N-no!" she shrieked, scrambling to pick herself up from the floor. "Go away! Don't eat me!"

_**"Satan *SQUEAK*--ing Lucifer, I ain't gonna eat you,”**_ the demon said. _ **“I just want to tell you about the skunk that brought you here."**_

Jordy paused herself for a moment, twisting a finger inside her ear to make sure she wasn't hearing things. "W-wait ... did you ... just squeak like a stuffed toy?"

Then, with surprising speed, the demon leaned down towards her. _**"** **You got a problem with the way I talk?"**_

"N-no! I didn't mean it like that!" Jordy replied frantically, almost in a state of panic. She let out a frustrated groan, preventing herself from breaking down and crying in front of the monster. "A-anyway ... you were saying something about Mr. Drew?"

The demon slowly pulled himself up straight as Jordy changed the subject. _**"** **Right, Joey ... he told you there was supposed to be a workshop here?"**_

"Uh, yeah..." Jordy took out the advertisement from her purse. "I got this in the mail last week. He said there was supposed to be a workshop here for all animation students and graduates. It looked like a lot of fun and ... well ... something I could take from since I studied animation, too."

The demon then snatched the advert from her hand and skimmed through it. _**"** **Sounds like he found another sucker to take his bait..."**_

"...Excuse me?"

_**"He's been sending out countless numbers of these stupid parchments, seeing how many fools he can lure into the studio with them."** _

The girl was appalled by the demon's response. "Are ... are you serious? Why the hell would he do that? That doesn't sound right."

_**"Gonna be honest with you, I almost don't want to tell you. Knowing just might make it worse. All I can say is this: life is always filled with lies and disappointment. Get used to it.** **"** _The demon nonchalantly tossed the advert back to Jordy.

Jordy caught it before it could fall on the floor, then just stared back at the demon, perplexed. "So ... th-that's it then? I just leave and never come back? Is that what you're trying to say?"

_**"I mean, if you WANT to stay and see what twisted mess Joey has cooked for you, by all means, go ahead and wait for your funeral. But just don't go thinking I didn't give you a chance to walk away..."** _

Jordy hesitated, unsure of what she should do. Leaving was undoubtedly the best option, but for a brief moment, she couldn't help but feel sorry seeing the beast in the state that he was in. If Joey Drew was awful like he said he was, he probably mistreated him. It didn't feel right to her. She sighed and managed to take a few steps in the opposite direction, but stopped to turn her head back to him. "At least tell me your name. That way I remember you."

As she was walking away, the demon turned away as he was halfway through an ink portal that materialized in the adjacent wall, only to stop himself upon hearing Jordy's request. He turned his head towards her, although not fully, and tossed his fist up over his shoulder, the thumb pointing at one of the posters spread throughout the studio. _**"You’ve already seen it...** **"** _he said as he fully went through the portal.

Jordy turned her head and looked over her shoulder to see the poster behind her. It had a little cartoon devil with a wide grin on his face, almost similar to the demon she conversed with. "'Bendy?'" she read the poster aloud in wonder. Was this sickly creature really the star icon of Joey Drew Studios?

Before Jordy could ask him, he had already disappeared. She looked around for him, hoping he would show up, but it didn't look like he was coming back anytime soon. After letting out a dejected sigh, she continued to make her way out of the studio, pulling out her phone to call her parents.

* * *

Meanwhile, the demon appeared in a giant room, slowly walking towards a gruesome-looking throne that laid in the middle. He sat there, contemplating the encounter he had with the young girl. He hoped that she was smart enough to heed his warning and stay as far away from Joey Drew as she could.


	2. Let Me Stay

It had been a week since Jordy came and left the studio. She couldn’t stop thinking about the demon that lurked within. She even made sketches of him in her little drawing book while sitting in her room. She had thought about her encounter with him when she texted her parents to come and get her. Since then, she made up her mind. She was going to see him again, and this time, she would stay to keep him company for a while.

* * *

Back at the studio, the Ink Demon was wandering around, as he usually does, seeing if anyone was around. He then stopped in his tracks when he heard something down the halls. It almost sounded like someone coming into the building. _**"Hm? ... Ugh, another rat for Joey? Man, this guy is starving...** **"**_ he said as he vanished into an ink portal in the wall.

After being dropped off by the front of the building, Jordy walked through the doors and made her way down the lobby, hoping to find the tall demon. “Hello?” she called out, clutching her sketchbook with one hand. “Bendy? Are you in here?”

Like last time, Bendy's voice echoed through the room. _**"** **What do you--wait ... you're that cat-girl..."**_ he said, surprised to see her back.

Jordy just looked up to the ceiling, assuming that was where his voice came from, and smiled as she introduced herself. “Hey, Ben. My name is Jordan, but you can call me Jordy. I know you’re probably wondering why I’m back. May I see you, please?”

After letting out an irritated sigh, the demon appeared right in front of her. _**"** **You better have a good reason for flat out ignoring me."**_

When Jordy saw him, she opened her sketchbook to tear out the page of the doodles she made of him and held it out to him. “I made these for you," she said, "as a thank you gift."

Bendy leaned down and looked at the picture she was holding. He was surprised to see it was him and thought it looked pretty good for something drawn from memory. _**"...Thank you for what?"**_ he asked.

“For warning me about Joey,” Jordy replied. “Had you not, I would’ve been stuck here not knowing what I could’ve gotten myself into. And also ... for willing to put up with me when I kept screaming at your face.”

The demon stood there, analyzing the words Jordy was saying and then looking back down at the picture. He then gently took it out of her hands and looked at it deeper. _**"...Is that all you came down here for?"**_

“Well, no, not really.” Jordy put her hands behind her back while swaying. “Actually ... I was wondering if you’d be okay with me staying for a little while. You know...to keep you company and get to know you a little better. I’ll even take you up on your previous offer of giving me a tour if you’re still wanting to.”

Bendy paused, trying to process Jordy's statement. _ **"So, you not only ignored me about staying away from this studio, but you want to STAY here with me?"**_

Jordy took a deep breath to calm her nerves before responding. “...Yes.”

_**"Why though? You're willing to risk Joey or whatever else is down here getting their hands on you to do who knows what they'd want to do with you. And for what? So you can try to be my friend?"** _

Jordy nodded her head. “I honestly think there’s more to you than just being a monster. In fact, if you want my opinion, I think Joey made you that way, which doesn’t seem fair at all. I want to be able to understand and know the real you.” She walked up closer to him, taking his gloved hand in hers. “Will you please give me a chance, Bendy? I promise if I get myself into any danger, I’ll leave and never come back. Cross my heart.”

The demon took his free hand and rubbed his forehead, letting out another sigh. This girl was willing to endanger herself just to try and be his friend. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around something he thought was so absurd. _**"This dame's off her gourd..."**_ he said under his breath. After a moment of pondering, he pulled his hand away and pointed his finger at Jordy. _**"** **If you're gonna be stubborn and hellbent on staying here, we gotta lay some ground rules."**_

“Y-Yes, sir. Sorry,” Jordy replied, drawing her hand back into her pocket. She cleared her throat. “Go on.”

_**"One: have a weapon with you at all times. There's a lot of little critters lurking around here, so you'll need to defend yourself."** _

Jordy raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Um ... okay. Do you have any that I can borrow or am I gonna have to make one?”

Bendy looked around until he found a pipe on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to her. _**"** **Here.”**_

Jordy stared at the pipe for a few seconds before taking it from him. It seemed like an odd choice of weaponry, but it would do. “Thanks...”

_**"Two: I can take care of myself. So don't be trying to help me or fight for me. Trust me, nothing in this studio can keep me pinned down, so I won't need help."** _

“Duly noted."

_**"Three, and this one is a big one: stay away from the music department, the basement, and ESPECIALLY floor 9. Those are where some of the truly twisted psychos are found. And you wouldn't last a second with them."** _

“So, no music department, basement, or floor 9, got it.” Jordy firmly nodded. “So ... where can we go right now?”

_**"I dunno,"**_ Bendy shrugged. _ **"I never had anyone who WANTED to stay here..."**_

“Hmm...” Jordy pondered for a bit, putting her finger under her chin. She then turned her head to see a room with a bunch of animation desks inside it. “How about that room over there? I could draw some more while we talk.”

_**"Eh, why not?"**_

With a giggle, Jordy walked ahead of him and sat herself down on one of the desks in the studio room. She took out the pencil from her sketchbook and decided to do some framework practice on one of the blank papers they had on the light desks. “So, tell me about yourself, Bendy,” Jordy said, sketching his cartoon persona. “How did you manage to come to life like that?”

_**"Gonna be frank with you, toots,"**_ Bendy said. _ **"I don't remember much of anything after Joey's little machine spat me out. I mean, I know I was based on that cartoon devil. But as far as myself goes, nada."**_

“Ah, I see...” Jordy switched over to the next frame. “Well, I guess another thing I could ask is ... how long have you been down here?”

_**"Honestly, the days sort of blur together down here. I mean, I guess maybe a few years or so. I dunno, I lost track after a while."** _

“Do you ... ever wish you could get out?”

_**"What's the point? I mean, it's not like I can live a normal life out there, am I right?"** _

“Well, no, but...” Jordy was starting to feel bad for Bendy. Yes, he was a monster and he’d most likely be more mistreated out there than he already was here. But even so...

She wasn’t sure what she was thinking and just let out a frustrated sigh. “Forget it. I’m sorry. I’ll just keep drawing.”

Bendy then turned his head to glance over at the pictures Jordy was drawing. _**"** **So, you're an artist, eh?"**_

“I am. I went to college for Illustration and Animation last year. Sadly, they had more illustration classes than they did animation, so I’m not as skilled as an animator as I would like to be.”

_**"Well, you could still be pretty big as just an artist, I guess. It's a pretty vicious field, though. Not everyone can make it."** _

“You do have a point...” Jordy decided to hand over her sketchbook to the demon. “Here, in case you wanna see more examples of my work. Most of them are cartoon drawings, but some of them are figure studies and landscapes, too.”

Bendy took the sketchbook from her hand to look at the drawings she made. He skimmed through the pages one-by-one. _**"** **Hmm, not too shabby, kid."**_ After a moment of pause, he handed the book back to her. _**"** **You sure you want to go through with this? I mean, there has to be a part of you that realizes how crazy this seems, right?"**_

“Trust me, Ben," Jordy replied, taking her sketchbook back. "If I wasn’t sure, I would still be sitting in my room on my computer all day. I want to stay and give you some company for a little while. You deserve it after what the man put you through.”

_**"I'm not worried about myself. I just ... don't you have any family or friends that'd be worried about you?"** _

Jordy hesitated for a brief moment, thinking over how her folks would react if they saw their daughter interacting with a literal ink monster. And what would she tell her friends? Would they even believe her? “W-well...I do have my phone with me in case I need to call or text them,” she said, taking her cellphone out of her pocket. “And while I do have friends, they’re all living in different parts of the world. I haven’t hung out with any real-life friends since I left college...”

_**"Aaaand they're all okay with you wanting to live with a messed up ink-filled monstrosity in a run-down studio?"**_

Jordy froze when he asked her that, biting her lip nervously. “Uh ... w-well, um ... you see,” she stammered, “I-I sort of ... told them that the workshop was scheduled for this week and that I was gonna ask Drew about a possible ... internship opportunity?” She giggled nervously, afraid of what Bendy's response would be.

Bendy didn't immediately acknowledge her story. Instead, he just put both hands onto his head and let out a loud groan. How could someone like her be so careless? Did she even know what she was getting herself into? Bendy let his hands slide off his head and, without turning towards her, asked, _**"What is it about me? A rational person would just take one look and hide for cover, praying I don't find them. Not move in and try to know me. I'm a DEMON for crying out loud. They ain't exactly the kind of things that are easy to sympathize with.”**_

Jordy just stared at Bendy as he spoke, not knowing what to think or how to respond to him. “I ... I don’t know...” she said, her voice shaking as she shifted her gaze. “I don’t know what it is about you. Either I like you and wanted to be friends with you...or I just wanted to be nice to you since you were so kind to me. You could’ve easily killed me when you had the chance. W-Why didn’t you?” All of a sudden, tears started welling up in her eyes, feeling regret. “Whatever ... I guess I’m just too stupid and naive to think that I could even make friends with someone like you...I’m sorry I even came here!” She threw the pencil across the room and ran off crying.

This sudden burst of sadness took Bendy by surprise. When he saw her run, he wasn't sure what to do. Should he go after her and make sure she's alright? What if she ran into any of the monsters in the studio? Or one of those psychos he mentioned? But what would he do when he caught up to her? He wasn't exactly skilled in dealing with emotions but he knew that someone had to do something.

_**"Bleeegh, what is it with people and their stupid emotions?** **"**_ he grumbled to himself before running after Jordy, hoping to catch her before anything else could.


	3. Caught in a Sticky Situation

What a foolish girl Jordy was. She kept mentally kicking herself for thinking Bendy would be okay with her staying. The fact that he wasn't and called her out on it made her feel worse. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ she screamed in her head as more tears burned her eyes. It was moments like these that made her hate herself for being autistic and impulsive. Even if the most damage she did was lie to her loved ones, it was still a terrible decision.

Jordy needed to calm down. She needed to step outside, take a deep breath, and let the fresh air ease her anxiety.

But as she was about to head on over to the door, something caught her foot and she fell through the floorboards. She landed on her back with a hard thud, wincing in pain before slowly getting up and rubbing herself. Jordy looked up to see the hole she fell through. It was pretty deep. Not to mention, it seemed she landed a couple of floors down. “B-Bendy! Bendy!" she yelled up, hoping the demon had followed her. "I fell through the floor! Can you hear me?”

A voice then chimed in. But something about it seemed odd. It was more human-like but at the same time ... more evil. **"Oh, I'm sure he'll be here soon ... you poor little sheep..."**

Jordy let out a gasp when she heard someone else talk to her. She turned her head slowly to see who it was. “Wh-who’s there?”

**"Ssshhhh, don't waste your breath, darling. You'll need every ounce of it..."** A human-looking but still ink-black figure sneaked up from behind Jordy and went to whack her head with an old violin. The impact made her lose consciousness and she fell back down on the floor. Afterward, the mysterious man dropped the busted open violin and took a moment to look over the unconscious young woman. **"...For when we start the offering..."**

* * *

Jordy could feel herself coming to, as her vision was beginning to clear from her blurry haze. Her head was throbbing with pain and she let out a muffled groan in response to it. Then, she tried to move herself up but saw that she'd been tied up to a wooden pole with a pentagram underneath. Frantically, she struggled to break free, but the bonds were too tight.

As she did so, a voice was heard over an intercom. **"Ah ah ah ... save your strength, my pretty little sheep. Wasting all your energy will ruin your taste for him..."**

Jordy stopped moving when she heard a familiar voice over the intercom. Her memory of the man who knocked her out was coming back to her. “What the ... who the hell are you?! And why did you tie me up?!”

**"Oh, who I am is not important. I'm just a simple man, serving a higher being. A being who hungers..."**

Panic was starting to grow within her. Bendy had warned her about the horrors that lurked within the depths of the studio. She dreaded the idea of one of them coming for her and eating her. “W-Wait, no! Please!" she begged, her struggles becoming hastier. "I don’t want to become food for your demon king! Please, let me go!”

**"Be still, you heinous woman!"** the man's voice rose in anger. **"He will soon free you from the shackles of your dull, abysmal life! Soon you shall feel the embrace of his inky influence, and recognize him as the god we need."**

Jordy groaned in irritation. “No offense, buddy, but I already worship one god, and he’s not yours!” As she struggled once more, she prayed that someone would come and save her if she couldn’t save herself. “Now for the last time, get me out of here!”

The man clicked his tongue in response. **"Such defiance. Such stubbornness. Fret not, my dear. He will change you soon. If not, then he shall be --"**

_**"SAMMY!"**_ another voice roared behind the intercom.

Jordy froze when she heard that voice, immediately recognizing its owner. Her face lit up with hope. “Bendy?”

**"M-M-My lord ..."** the man's voice quivered. **"I-I have prepared a sacrifice for you. Now you may feast on her.."** The sound was interrupted by footsteps and growling. **"W-Wait. Stay back! Your liege, I fought so hard for you! Please... DON'T--"**

Before he could finish, there was a loud, almost crunch-like splat heard through the intercom. And then, silence.

Jordy felt her heart stop when she heard that loud noise echoing in the room. Did Bendy just ... kill him? She wasn’t sure if she should be thankful that he was gone or horrified that she listened to an actual murder.

Bendy then appeared through the wall of the room and walked to Jordy, taking one swipe of the ropes with his clawed hand to cut them and free her.

Jordy got up as soon as he cut her ropes, massaging her wrists. “Th ... thank you...” she said, still in a state of shock.

_**"Ya see, it's stuff like this that would normally demotivate someone from wanting to stay and be my friend..."**_ Bendy said.

Jordy hesitated for a moment, taking a bit to steady her breathing. “I mean ... I’m having a hard time processing what just happened, but .. .that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful.”

_**"That was one of those psychos I told you about. And with any luck, it'll be the only one you ever face."** _

“What did you even do to him?”

_**"He won't be bothering you anymore, that's all that matters."** _

Jordy felt like there was more to what Bendy did to him than she thought. It raised some skepticism in her, but she kept silent to prevent any arguments between them. She picked up her purse off the floor and sighed. “Well great ... now it looks like I’m stuck here for more than a while now.”

_**"There's probably another exit around here somewhere..."**_ Bendy offered. _ **"That is if you WANT it..."**_

Jordy once again hesitated, unsure of herself. A part of her still wanted to stay, but she almost got herself killed by a demon worshipper. “How do we at least get back up to the main floor?”

_**"There's an elevator not that far from here. I can walk you over to it."** _

“I’d appreciate it. Care to lead the way?”

_**"Why not...?"** _The demon walked towards the direction of the elevator, leading Jordy out of the godforsaken room.


	4. The Argument

Only a short minute had passed since Bendy and Jordy left for the elevator. As they walked, the girl started feeling rather light-headed and wobbly. She asked Bendy to stop so she could rest for a moment, sitting down on the floor.

Bendy stopped as asked, as he turned around and looked at Jordy. _**“** **Hey, you okay?**_ _ **You don’t look so good.”**_

“S-Sorry..." Jordy responded weakly. "I think that blow that guy gave me affected my brain ... either that or I’m suffering from hunger or dehydration.” Her stomach rumbled fiercely, making her wince in pain.

Bendy tilted his head. _ **"Hmm ... when was the last time you ate?"**_

"Um ... I think it was around noon before I got here, but it wasn't very filling."

_**"Then I guess you could use a bite to eat. There should be a storage room on the next floor."** _

"Would it be too much trouble to ask if you could carry me? I'm having a hard time keeping focus while I'm walking."

_**"Alright, alright...** **"**_ The tall demon bent over slightly to pick up Jordy in his arms. _**"** **Don't get used to me doing this all the time though."**_

"Thank you..." Jordy wrapped her arms around the demon's neck as he carried her over to the elevator.

* * *

After riding up to the next floor, Bendy carried Jordy across the halls to a room that contained some pantries and shelves. All of them were filled with cans. _**"I hope you ain't wanting anything fancy,"**_ Bendy said. _ **"The menu here is kind of limited."**_

After he put her down, Jordy sat on one of the chairs by the table, holding her head with one hand. "I'm fine with anything at this point," she said. "I just really need to eat now before I pass out..."

Bendy then took one of the cans from the pantry, ripped the top of it off with his finger, and placed it in front of her.

Jordy looked down at the contents inside the can. Her face twisted, as the brown-orange liquid looked rather unappetizing. "...What is that?" she asked skeptically.

_**"Bacon soup,"**_ Bendy replied bluntly. _ **"And like I said, we don't have much else here so you better learn to like it."**_

Jordy picked the can up and held it to her nose, sniffing it. She swiftly recoiled while pinching her nose. "UGH!! Oh my God, that's so disgusting! Hold old even is this?!"

_**"How should I know?** **"**_ Bendy picked up another can, ripped off its top, and guzzled the soup down. He then wiped some of it off his face. _**"** **I don't think you can afford to be picky though..."**_

"Can I at least heat this thing in a microwave or something? I'm not very fond of eating cold soup."

Bendy groaned a bit as he took the soup and put it in an old microwave oven that was next to one of the pantries, using it to heat the soup up. After it finished, he gave it back to her.

"Thank you," Jordy said. She picked up her spoon and scooped up the soup, inching it to her face. She stared at it for a few seconds and took some deep breaths before putting it into her mouth. She hated how it tasted and was tempted to spit it back out, but instead, swallowed it down whole, shivering.

Bendy couldn't help but get a small amount of amusement out of Jordy's reactions to the soup, chuckling to himself. _**"** **Oh, grow up. You'll get used to it."**_

Jordy gave him an annoyed glare. "I swear to God, if I get sick or die from eating this, you're not invited to my funeral," she said as she forced another bite of the rancid soup down her throat.

_**"As if I'll ever leave this hellhole,** **"**_ Bendy stated. He finished the can of soup he was drinking from and crushed it in his hand.

Jordy just sighed as she gave her stomach a break to settle from the very few bites she took. Then she looked back up at Bendy. "Just out of random curiosity..." she said, "what would you do if you did ever get the chance to leave this studio?"

_**"You mean aside from freak out anyone that ever laid their eyes on me?"**_ Bendy asked.

Jordy rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

_**"Honestly, I wouldn't know. I never really thought about it."** _

Jordy looked away and fell silent as she stirred her soup around with her spoon. She was starting to take more pity on the ink demon now. If only society wasn't so unaccepting of creatures like him, then she'd volunteer to take him with her and find a place for him to stay. _Wishful thinking, Jordy,_ she thought to herself before speaking up again. "Can I ask you something else then?"

_**"What is it?"**_

Jordy pushed the can away from her, a sad expression forming on her face. "...Are you mad at me for coming here and meeting you?"

Bendy turned his head, a bit surprised by this question. _**"** **Hmm ... maybe not mad. I question it, no doubt about that. But I guess I am ... sort of intrigued by how hellbent you are about being with me."**_

Hearing him say that did lift a small weight off Jordy's shoulder. Her eyes shifted back at him for a moment. "Well ... I mean ... I’ll admit I was afraid of you at first,” she replied hesitantly. "Obviously, the idea of a living, breathing ink monster existing in the real world is pretty unorthodox." She took a moment to pause before moving forward from her chair. "But ... then I thought as I started warming up to you ... that maybe you're not as bad as people might think you are. Just mistreated and wanting someone to understand you. Am I right?"

The demon inched away a bit as she moved toward him, feeling uncomfortable. He never met anyone who wasn't treating him like a freak of nature. Least of all anyone who treated him like Jordy did. _**"Emm ... I guess I ... uh ..."**_ he stammered, not knowing how to respond.

Jordy stopped when she saw him back away from her, realizing she was overstepping her bounds. Nevertheless, she continued talking. "I can’t help but pity you, Bendy. You've been living down here for God knows how long. It must get pretty lonely now and again, doesn't it?"

_**"Well, it's not like I'm the only person in the studio,"**_ Bendy said.

"But do they even care for you? Or do they fear you, too? Because if it's the latter, I don't think it's fair for anyone to judge or treat you like that. In fact..." Jordy looked away for a bit, her cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment. "...Deep down inside that cold, inky shell of yours, I think you're a pretty sweet guy..."

Bendy was shocked after hearing that. The fact that anyone would say that to him, he had no idea how to register it. _**"** **You ... you ain't having a crush on me or something, are you?"**_

Jordy's eyes widened, her face growing redder. "What? No, of course not! I'm just trying to make a point that you deserve better than to be treated like a monster, even if you’ve done horrible things in the past! Not only did you save my life, twice, might I add, but you were willing to do whatever it takes to help me find my way out. And if that doesn't prove my point, I don't know what does." She sat back down at her table, letting out a sharp exhale to get rid of the heat in her cheeks. "And I just want to make sure I'm not being a burden to you by making those points and staying here with you."

_**"I'm just saying, maybe this isn't worth just throwing your life away. You probably had a loving family, lots of friends, all that stuff most people want. And you're just gonna toss it all aside? Just because you think a monster needs a friend?"** _

"It's not like I'm staying here forever! I just--" Jordy let out a groan as she placed her hands on her head, a couple of tears welling up in her eyes. "Look ... I don't wanna discuss this any further. If you'd rather I leave, then I will. But just know that no matter what happens, I’ll always be grateful for all you’ve done for me and never forget you. So ... thank you..." Jordy got up from her chair and walked away to sleep in the bedroom across the hall.

Bendy stood there and watched as she left. He was awash with several emotions, namely confusion and frustration. He gripped the sides of his head and let out an agitated growl of a groan as he tried to sort out his mind of what just happened. Then, out of pure furious instinct, he slammed his hands down onto the table Jordy was sitting at a while ago. He then walked to one of the room's corners and laid down.  
  


 _ **"** **What is WRONG with that girl?"**_ he muttered to himself. Then he shook his head and sighed. _ **"What's ... what's wrong with me?..."**_


	5. The Agreement

The next morning, Jordy woke up with a huge yawn. She stayed on her hammock for a bit to give her brain some time to function. Then she took out her phone to see if she got any messages or calls from her parents since the previous day. There was no signal underground, so it was possible that the messages didn't come through yet.

Letting out a sigh, she put the phone down and shifted her body toward the doorway. She thought about what she had said to Bendy the previous night, feeling a twinge of guilt. Maybe it was best to apologize to him before they could move forward in heading back up. Hopefully, he wasn't in too bad of a mood today. Carefully getting off from her hammock, she walked into the kitchen, stretching out her arms as she let out another yawn. "Morning, Ben..." she said.

Bendy had finished putting together a makeshift breakfast for Jordy. By the time he grabbed the ladle and poured the soup into a bowl, he saw her walk in. _**"** **You hungry?"**_

Jordy was quite surprised that Bendy made breakfast for her but was still thankful all the same. "Sure. Thank you." She then pulled out her chair for herself before sitting down.

As Bendy came over and brought Jordy's bowl over to the table, he decided to say something. _**"** **I'm ... well ... I understand that this is a pretty unorthodox predicament. And ... I acknowledge that it's pretty stressful for you."**_

Jordy was a bit confused by his wording at first, but then understood what he was referring to. Her gaze shifted away from him for a moment, focusing on the soup. "Yeah, it ... it kind of is, I won't lie..." she said as she started eating.

_**"And, I still think it's too dangerous for you to be here and that you'd be better off going back home. But, if you're so determined to stay here with me...** **"**_ Bendy let out a deep, heavy sigh. _**"** **...then I guess it's just a waste of time to try and convince you otherwise."**_

Jordy looked back at him, a bit speechless by his words. He was willing to let her stay, even if he initially wanted her to leave for her safety. Part of her was glad that he finally agreed to it. But on the other hand ... she did get herself into danger the previous day. And she initially gave her word that she would leave if that happened. She was at a standstill at this point. "...Could I show you something real quick?" she finally spoke, pulling out her phone.

_**"What is it?"**_ Bendy asked.

Jordy waved her hand over to have him come closer to her. She unlocked her phone and clicked on her Photo Gallery to show a couple of photos. "This is my family. We had this photo taken during our vacation trip to Maryland. There's a total of seven of us."

_**"So?"**_

"Just thought you wanted to know what they looked like." Jordy scrolled her phone over to another photo. "And this is my niece, Audrey. She’ll be turning five this summer."

_**"Look, I'm sure your family is super adorable and nice, but unless knowing them benefits me in some fashion, I don't see the point to this."** _

Jordy sighed as she put her phone down on the table. "My point is ... even though I initially wanted to stay with you to keep you company, I do miss them. I have no way of knowing whether or not they messaged or called me because there's no signal down here. That's why I want to head back upstairs when we can, so I can at least tell them I'm okay if they're worried about me." She turned her head back to him, taking a deep breath. "That being said ... would you be willing to make a deal with me?"

Bendy tilted his head curiously. _**"** **What kind of deal?"**_

"If you're willing to let me stay for one more day, then I promise I'll call my parents to come and get me afterward. I won't return ever again and I'll never tell anyone of what I saw here at the studio." She stood up, holding out her hand to shake his. "Do we have a deal?"

Bendy took a glance at her face, seeing if she was telling the truth or not. Then after making up his mind, he took her hand and shook it. _**"** **Deal."**_

After shaking his inky hand, she drew hers back, seeing the black liquid cover it. Curious, she decided to take out a piece of paper from her sketchbook and placed her hand on it, removing it to reveal a black handprint. "There. Now I have something to remember you by," she said with a giggle.

Bendy let out a short single chuckle at her remark. _**"** **Alright, so what do you want to do now? There's not a whole lot to do down here."**_

"I mean ... I guess we could move forward from here. I'm not feeling lightheaded like yesterday." Jordy walked over to the sink to rinse the ink off her hand. Then she looked back at her half-empty bowl on the table. "Actually, I think we should clean this place up before we head back to the elevator, don't you think?"

**_"Why?_ ** _**It's not like anyone's gonna give us any flack for it."** _

"I dunno, I guess I just feel the need to pick up after myself." Jordy put on some gloves before picking up one of the dirty plates from the sink. "Can you pass me the dishes on the table, please?"

Bendy let out a sigh as he picked up the bowls and handed them to her. _**"** **You know they're just gonna get dirty again, right? I mean, this place ain't exactly the example of impeccable hygiene."**_

"Oh come on, how bad can it be?" When she went to turn the water on, all that flowed out of it was running ink, contaminating the sink. Her eyes widened with shock. "Eh ... on second thought, I think just rinsing them off will be fine." She placed the dishes in the semi-full sink, letting the ink-invested water soak them as she took off the rubber gloves. "So! Are you ready to go?"

_**"Hehe, yeah let's go,** **"**_ Bendy said as he walked out of the room.

Jordy chuckled back, grabbing her purse before following Bendy out of the storage room.

When they got to the elevator, however, it had a giant sign painted over it that said ‘OUT OF ORDER.’

_**"Huh, I don't remember that being there when we used it..."** _


	6. A New Friend

"Aww, man!" Jordy complained. "‘Out of order?’ How can that be?" She walked over to see if there were any stairs they could take as an alternative. Then she remembered how far she had fallen from the first floor. "Is there another elevator nearby?"

_**"I think there's another one on the other side of the building,"**_ Bendy said.

Jordy slunk her shoulders over. "...And how far of a walk is that?"

_**"It's about as far as--GUHK!** **"**_ Bendy was pelted in the head with a brick and immediately recomposed himself to see who threw it. It was a cartoon wolf in overalls, similar to the one from the posters Jordy saw when she walked in. It surprised her to see him in the flesh.

"Quick, little lady! Run before he tries to eat your head!" the wolf howled with a thick Russian accent.

Before he could throw another brick at Bendy, Jordy stood between them with her arms out wide. "W-wait! Stop!" she shouted to the wolf. "He's my friend!"

"Friend? B-But, he's a monster. He's not my little buddy!"

"Even so, it's not right to hurt him if he didn't hurt you first." Jordy turned her head over to Bendy to check on him. "You okay?"

_**"I've had worse,"**_ Bendy mumbled, rubbing his bruised head.

"Well ... I saw him kill Sammy, and I thought he was gonna kill me too," said the wolf timidly.

Jordy grimaced when the wolf brought up that name, assuming he was talking about the man who captured her. "He did it to save me from him..." she spoke up, putting her arms down. "Sammy tried to sacrifice me, but then Bendy came in time and rescued me ... and I'm glad he did." She smiled at the demon sincerely.

"He did?" the wolf asked, looking at the demon.

_**"What do you want, proof of heroics or something?"**_ Bendy asked sarcastically.

Jordy couldn't help but laugh. Then she turned back over to the wolf, smiling at him. "How about we start over? My name is Jordy. What's yours?"

"Um, I'm Boris," the wolf said, placing a hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Miss."

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Jordy shook his hand and giggled. "Oh my God, you're just so cute! I love how they draw you in the posters!" She couldn't help but reach over to scratch him behind the ear, assuming he had some similar behavioral traits to a dog.

"Uh, wait, what--" The sensation of Jordy's nails against Boris's ear made him lean in. Then he started rapidly tapping his foot and wagging his tail.

_**"Chicks..."**_ Bendy muttered, shaking his head.

Jordy laughed at Boris's reaction to her scratching him. It was too cute to resist. "What, are you jealous, Mr. Ink Demon?"

_**"No, I just can't believe we're wasting time with this."** _

"Well, if you guys want somewhere safe to stay, we can go back to my safe house," Boris said.

"Actually, we need to get to the next elevator," Jordy said. "Which, according to Bendy, is on the other side of the building. Is your safe house along the way?"

"Yes, it is. Oh, but you might want to be careful. There are a lot of Searchers along the way. I'll try to keep you safe though."

**_"Peh. Once they take a look at me, they'll just run away,"_ **Bendy said smugly.

"Bendy!" Jordy hissed through her teeth. She turned back to Boris, pulling her pipe out from her purse. "Thank you, Boris. We'll be sure to stick behind you."

"Alrighty, stay close and follow me, friends," Boris said as he led Jordy and Bendy down to the other side of the building.

As they walked, Jordy clutched onto her weapon with one hand while shining light from her phone with the other. “So, Boris ... I’m guessing you and Bendy are friends in the cartoons?” she asked the wolf.

"Well, it kind of depends on the script at the time. But yeah, usually we're good buddies." Boris said with a goofy smile on his face.

_**"Funny, from what I've seen I don't recall us being buddy-buddy,"**_ Bendy remarked.

Though it annoyed her, Jordy didn't acknowledge Bendy's response. She just continued talking to Boris. “Well, that’s cool, anyway. What do you guys like to do in these episodes?”

"We usually get into silly antics, like how Bendy tried to take my trick or treat candy, or when we stop whatever mean things the Butcher Gang is up to," Boris replied.

“Oooh, that sounds exciting. I should take some time to watch these. Funny enough, I went to school for drawing and animation, so I love cartoons.”

"D'aww that sounds like fun," Boris said, his tail wagging as they continued.

Just then, a Searcher spawned from the ground in front of them, outstretching its arms to grab Jordy.

The girl shrieked and hid behind Bendy. “Holy shiitake mushrooms, what is that?!"

_**"It's just a Lil Searcher,"**_ Bendy said. _ **"These guys are pathetic.** **"**_ He stepped forward and growled at the Searcher, which whimpered and fled out in fear.

Jordy blinked twice, stepping out from behind the demon. “Oh ... that works. Thank you, Bendy."

_**"No problem.** _ _**See? Told ya they'd turn tail once they saw me..."** _

"Um..." Boris said, feeling a bit ineffectual. "I-I could have taken him..."

“Well, if there are any more, you can take the next one!” Jordy said, rubbing Boris's head. “How much further until we get to the safe house?”

"We're almost there. It's just around two more corners." Boris walked ahead a bit, showing them the way.

“Alrighty...” Jordy replied as she followed him, still carrying her lit-up phone with her. She hoped they wouldn't run into any more of those inky creeps.

Once Jordy and Bendy caught up with Boris, the wolf waved his hand in front of a wall.

Bendy was perplexed. _ **"What is this, some kind of gip? Y**_ _ **ou said you had a hideout."**_

Jordy took a careful look at the wall, noticing little nooks and crannies that made it different from the other walls. “Wait a minute..." she said, pressing her hand on the camouflaged door. "This _is_ his hideout!"

"You're a very smart girlie, Jordy. First lesson about hideouts..." The door suddenly opened up as soon as Jordy pushed against it, revealing the hideout Boris had been staying in. "...Make sure you get the 'hide' part right," he finished with a chuckle at the end.

Jordy giggled back before walking inside. “Thank you.” Once she was in, she looked around to see that the place was much more spacious than the storage unit she and Bendy previously slept in. There was a table of cards, a record player, a couch, and a stove for the kitchen.

"Go ahead," Boris said. "Make yourselves at home."

Jordy decided to take a seat on the couch and lay on it comfortably.

Bendy had to squat-walk inside due to his height but managed to get in nonetheless. _**"** **Alright I'll admit, that's pretty smart thinking,"**_ he complimented. _ **"Too bad you never show that in the cartoons."**_

"So, are you guys hungry?" Boris asked. "I was thinking of getting lunch."

Jordy was a little bit hesitant at first, not wanting to eat the rancid soup again. “Do you have anything other than bacon soup?” she asked politely.

"Well, I'm sorry, but there's not a whole lot else in the studio," Boris said, as he collected some soup cans from the pantry. "Besides, I LOVE bacon soup!~"

“Well, alright then...” Jordy replied, sighing with defeat. Then she cursed under her breath before joining the boys at the table.

Boris punctured the top off of the can with his teeth and poured the broth into the pot. "Maybe you just had it raw. It tastes much better cooked."

**_"By how much, is debatable,"_ **Bendy commented.

"Yeah, that's true," Jordy agreed, watching Boris cook on the stove.

After a few minutes, the wolf finished preparing three properly cooked bowls of bacon soup. "Here you go, little one," he said as he handed one bowl to Jordy. "I'm sorry it isn't what you wanted, but I hope I cooked it right." He then offered a bowl to Bendy.

_**"Eh, I think I'll fast for now...** **"**_ the demon waved off indifferently.

Jordy decided to take a small bite of the soup Boris put before her. Though it still wasn't her favorite, it at least tasted better than last time. "Yeah, this will do. Thank you." She took a couple more bites before wiping her face off with her sleeve. "So, Boris, tell me about yourself."

Boris sat down across from Jordy. "Well, I've been here in the studio for ... um ... I don't know for how long. After a while, I sort of lost track of time." He rubbed the back of his head. "I've just been hiding from anything that seemed like a threat. Like the Searchers or..." He took a glance at Bendy, feeling more anxious. "...or other things..."

Jordy turned her eyes over to Bendy as Boris did. She could tell he was afraid of the Ink Demon, given that they didn't get along in the first place. "I see," she replied, turning her attention back to her soup. "Well, do you think you could help us get to the main floor after we rest for a bit? It's important that we do so I can call my parents."

"Are you trying to escape? Can ... can I come, too? I've always wondered what it's like outside of the studio."

_**"Oh, just what we need,"**_ Bendy complained. _**"Another person to drag us down."**_

Jordy glared at Bendy, miffed by his bitter sarcasm. But her expression softened when she turned back to Boris. "I think I know where the other elevator is," he said. "But every time I go near it, I always hear _her_ voice. And it scares me..."

"Aww," Jordy said, taking pity on the wolf. "Of course, you can come, Boris! And don’t worry. As long as we stick together, I’m sure we’ll be fine."

Boris's face lit up. "Oh thank you, my friend!" He then stood up to give Jordy a big hug, letting out a goofy laugh while doing go.

Jordy hugged Boris back while rubbing his head. She even giggled when he did, loving his cute demeanor.

Boris let Jordy go and turned to Bendy. He outstretched his arm.

_**"I ain't gonna hug you, furball,** **"**_ Bendy instantly dismissed. But it didn't bother Boris.

"Alright, you go ahead and rest, my friends," the wolf said. "Then we can go find the elevator together."

"Will do," Jordy said, walking away from Boris. Then she turned her attention back to Bendy, grabbing him by his gloved hand and leading him away from Boris. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" she whispered.

Bendy let out an exasperated sigh as he slinked over to Jordy. _**"** **What** **?"**_ he asked in a hushed tone.

Jordy wanted to discuss this in a more private area, so she took Bendy into a hallway across the room. They were careful not to step in any of the ink that flooded the bathroom as they passed. Jordy cringed when she saw it but still continued until they reached a guest room, shutting the door behind them. Once she stood face-to-face with Bendy, she sighed. "Look, I know you and Boris don't get along, but for my sake, could you please try--keyword, _try_ \--to be a little nicer to him?"

Bendy let out a soft groan, rolling his eyes underneath his ink. _**"** **Look, our arrangement was helping YOU get out of this ink pit. We never agreed on taking hitchhikers along with us."**_

"Even so, he's shown us hospitality and we should be more grateful to him. So the least we can do is help him out, too." Jordy then muttered through her teeth. "And quite frankly, I'm not liking your attitude right now."

_**"You didn't seem to mind it before...** **"**_ Bendy replied bluntly. After a moment of thought, he let out a longer, more defeated sigh. _**"** **Fine. He can come, but he fends for himself."**_

"Thank you," Jordy sighed, holding out her hand for him to shake.

Bendy reluctantly shook her hand. _" **Now hit the sheets,"**_ he said as he walked out. _**"The sooner you finish your nap, the sooner we can get out of here.** **"**_

"Yes sir," Jordy replied, waiting for Bendy to close the door before climbing onto the guest bed. Once she was all settled, she set an alarm on her phone and closed her eyes, letting the sound of the dancing Bendy clock take her to dreamland.

Meanwhile, Bendy made it back to the lounging area and stopped at a couch where Boris had finished setting up a place to sleep. The wolf paused when he saw him. "You can sleep here if you want."

The Ink Demon paused for a moment. _**"** **Nah, you sleep there.**_ _ **I'll be fine."**_ He then walked over to a barren corner.

"Um ... okay?" Boris laid down on the couch and pulled a blanket over him. He watched as Bendy rolled into a ball and began to fall asleep. "Hmm..." Boris then reached over the arm of the couch for a spare blanket and got up to drape it over Bendy. He then walked back to the couch to resume his nap.


	7. Haunted Hallways

After 45 minutes, the alarm went off. Jordy woke up from the sound and turned over to shut it off. Then she looked at the time on her phone; 3:21 PM. She couldn’t believe how late it was getting already. She needed to get going soon. Immediately, she got out of bed and yawned as she walked out of the room and past the hallway to Boris’s kitchen. “Alright, gents,” she announced. “I’m ready to go.”

Boris woke up after hearing Jordy's musings. "Mmmmm, okay, okay," he said groggily, slowly rising from the couch. 

Bendy, however, was already awake. He leaned against the wall, waiting on the other two. _**"** **Got enough sleep, princess?"**_

“Sure did,” Jordy replied. Then she turned to the wolf. “Care to lead the way, Boris?”

"Okie dokie!" Boris replied. He slowly opened the door, leading them out. He quickly surveyed his surroundings to make sure the coast was clear. Then he marched forward, guiding his newfound friends. "Just stay close and frosty, friends."

_**"Just worry about yourself,** **Boris,"** _Bendy said. _ **"I'm not afraid."**_

Jordy stayed between Bendy and Boris to make herself feel more secure. She took out the pipe she kept in her purse, holding a firm grip in case anyone tried to apprehend them. She had to admit that she was nervous. It was bad enough that she got captured by Sammy. Who knew what else could be down there waiting for them?

After a while, Boris led them to a corridor. He stood there, very hesitant to move ahead.

Bendy was a bit annoyed by the sudden stop. _" **What's wrong, pooch?"** _

"This is ... this is where I last saw her..." Boris said with fear.

“Her?” Jordy asked, recalling what Boris said earlier. The corridor was dark with no source of lighting. They had to get across somehow. She decided to take out her phone and turn on her flashlight. She walked up to Boris and held his hand. “Here, stay next to me and I’ll lead us out. If anyone comes, we have Bendy behind our backs.”

Bendy let out a quiet groan. 

Boris looked down at Jordy's hand grasping his and grabbed her back in response. "O-Okay..." He then slowly walked forward with his friends nearby. The sounds of machinery could be heard as they walked. Boris trembled, visibly haunted by the atmosphere. "O-O-Once we go down this hallway, the elevator should be on the other side..."

“It’s okay, Boris,” Jordy said, squeezing the wolf’s hand a bit tighter. “Don’t be scared.” As she traveled down the corridor with her two companions, she thought she could hear something faint in the distance. It sounded like ... music. Was someone singing? “Did you guys hear that?”

Boris froze in fear as he heard the singing. "It's ... it's her..."

Bendy stopped in his tracks too, listening closely. _**"** **Wait a minute ... I've heard this song before."**_ His horns twitched as he tried to focus. **_"Why does it sound familiar?"_**

Before anyone could answer, Boris immediately ran forward, still holding Jordy's hand. "W-we gotta get out of here!"

“Whoa!” Jordy nearly tripped as Boris picked up his speed, but kept her grip and followed him nonetheless. But upon reaching the light at the end of the tunnel, they came to a dead end. There was a door right in front of them, bolted shut. There was no lever to open it. “Crap, a dead end. Now, what do we do?”

"I ... I don't know..." the wolf responded. "We ... we have to go back! She might catch us!"

_**"Pff, scaredy mutt,** **"**_ Bendy commented as he walked over to the door. His fingers latched onto the slit, ready to pry it open. Just then, a wave of electricity shocked his body and fried him. He fell hard on his back.

"Bendy!" Jordy yelled. She and Boris ran over to help Bendy on his feet. The demon groaned and coughed from the smoke on his ink.

_**“** **You shouldn't have done that, Ink Demon,"**_ a voice suddenly spoke through the intercom. It was feminine, yet distorted. _ **"These doors are impenetrable and rigged with booby traps. Who knows what could happen to you if touch them?** **”**_ The woman laughed mockingly.

Bendy froze when he heard her voice. Once he recognized her, he growled in annoyance. **_"Gee, thanks for the tip, Angel."_**

Boris gulped, remaining where he stood. Hearing that woman's voice made him even more petrified.

Jordy cautiously stood in front of Boris. “Who are you?” she asked the woman.

_**“Oh, my dear girl.** _ _**I am Alice. Alice Angel. And the door you’re standing behind is the gateway to my sanctuary. If you wish to open it, just ask me nicely.”** _

_**"How do we know you ain't just setting up for another trap** **?"**_ Bendy asked. **_"You could've easily rigged the other side with spikes or sawblades."_**

_**“Touché,** **”**_ Alice replied. _**“But know this, Ink Demon. While I have my tricks, I try to be hospitable when necessary. So**_ _ **if you're willing to cooperate, I’ll let you pass through this door. We even have a warehouse and rest area filled with toys to make yourselves more comfortable. What do you say?”**_

Bendy slowly turned to his friends, waiting on a response from them.

"Don't trust her, my friends..." Boris said, quivering. "She's a very mean person..."

Jordy fell silent, as she was unsure herself of what to do. On the one hand, it felt like a trap and she should take Boris’s advice. But on the other hand, they were one step closer to that elevator. She needed this ticket to get back up and call her family.

After a moment of pondering, she let out a sharp exhale. “Alright. We’ll do it.”

"N-No!" Boris protested worriedly.

_**"For once I have to agree with Poochy here,** **"**_ Bendy replied. _**"** **This disfigured broad ain't worth the hassle."**_

“I know,” Jordy said, feeling a little uneasy. “But unless you guys know of any shortcuts, we need to get to that elevator.”

Boris let out a whine, unsure of what else to do. 

Bendy just groaned. _**"** **Fine. It's your funeral..."**_

Jordy took a deep breath before stepping forward, facing the door. She was reluctant, but then she spoke. “Alice ... please open the door.”

_**“** **Now here’s a gal who knows her manners,”**_ Alice beamed. _“ **Well then, by the power vested in me, I hereby dub thee worthy to walk with angels.** **”**_

After a second, the door creaked open, granting the three of them access to the other side.


	8. Trapped In Her Endless Web

"Jordy ... I don't know about this..." Boris said, bending down to Jordy's eye level and putting a hand on her shoulder.

Jordy looked up at Boris. She didn’t want to admit it, but she agreed with him. “Let’s just go in with caution,” she whispered. “We’ll try not to let anything distract us or put our guards down. And if we run into any monsters, we’ll make a run for it.”

Boris nodded and followed Jordy. Bendy remained still, looking up at the speaker. _**"If you're planning on some kind of double-cross, just keep in mind WHOM you're dealing with here, toots,** **"**_ he subtly threatened.

The intercom remained silent for a moment, for Alice frowned from behind the scenes. Nevertheless, she still complied. _**“Duly noted, Ink Demon."**_

With all that said and done, Jordy walked down the small hallway. Then she came across a huge factory filled with discarded plush toys of the cartoon characters from Bendy’s show. It was a stunning sight to see and she was tempted to get a closer look. But she shook her head, trying to focus on moving forward. “This way,” she said, pointing up the stairs.

Boris and Bendy followed her. The two stalled a moment to look at some of the plushies. Boris played with a Boris plushie while Bendy stared at a Bendy one. The smiling cartoon face looking back at him gave him memories ... not too pleasant memories...

Jordy, too, couldn’t help herself as she found a plushie of Alice sitting on the railing. She looked down to see that the boys were caught in their own trances with the plushies. At least she wasn’t alone. She gave in and grabbed the plush, tucking it under her arm. “Come on guys,” she urged the boys before going into the toy factory.

The two snapped out of their trances and followed Jordy up the stairs. After catching up, the three gazed upon a warehouse filled with Alice Angel merchandise. There were posters, cutouts, and plushies all on display. But those weren’t the only things to be shown. Before anyone knew it, the lights went off, and a bunch of small television screens went on with cartoons of Alice Angel hanging above. Soon enough, a song began playing with a cute voice attached to the singer.

_“I’m the cutest little angel sent from above_

_And I know just how to swing_

_I got a bright little halo and I’m filled with love..._

_I’m Alice Angel!”_

Boris started moving slightly to the sweet melody. "Ooh, I remember this song! It's so cute," he said, giggling.

“It is!” Jordy agreed as she couldn’t help but dance along with the music. It was nice and bouncy and whoever voiced Alice in the cartoons was a good singer.

Bendy, however, darted his gaze, feeling like something was off about the room they were in.

As the song reached its third verse, a spotlight revealed a staged room on the other side of a glass. Jordy couldn’t help but be curious as she walked forward.

_“I ain't no flapper, I'm a classy dish,_

_And boy, can this girl sing?_

_This gal can grant your every wish--”_

BAM!!

_**“I’M ALICE ANGEL!!** **”**_ a figure screeched as she suddenly appeared from the other side of the glass.

Jordy screamed back and fell on the floor, frightened by what she saw. It was a woman who closely resembled the cartoon angel Jordy saw on the screen. However, aside from the dark hair, black halter dress, and white bowtie on the front, the rest of her had a half-deformed face, ink-covered arms, and a broken halo welded into her head.

Suddenly, the woman shrieked once more as she punched into the glass, causing a blackout as she cackled. Jordy curled herself into a ball desperately for defense.

Boris held her close, trying to comfort her during the darkness while fighting back his fear. Meanwhile, Bendy stood alert, ready to attack should the need arise.

Jordy shivered as the blackness surrounded her. But she kept her hold on Boris, feeling a sense of relief.

_**“I see you there,** **”**_ Alice whispered around her. _**“** **Aww, you’re so scared, aren’t you?** **”**_ She let out a demented chuckle.

“It’s not funny!” Jordy called out, feeling embarrassed. Boris held her tighter.

_**"QUIT PLAYING YOUR THEATRICS AND GET TO THE POINT, YA DUMB BROAD!!** **"**_ Bendy lashed out.

_**“Always spoiling my surprises, aren’t you?** **”**_ Alice replied. Giving in to his demands, she sighed. _**“** **Very well. You have something that I want. And I intend to take it, one way or another.”**_ Without a moment of hesitation, she snuck up behind Boris and injected him with a needle.

Boris let out a pained whine before passing out. Bendy grabbed Alice's free hand and squeezed it, intending to crush her wrist. Alice screamed, trying to break away from the demon's grasp.

Jordy couldn’t see what was going on, so she got up from the floor and desperately scanned the wall for a light switch. Soon enough, she found it and the lights came back on. She saw Alice punch Bendy in his face and then slam her foot against his crotch. Bendy succumbed to the desperation attack and fell to his knees, clutching his area with one hand.

"Bendy!" Jordy yelled, rushing over to help him.

But as she did so, Alice slipped herself free from the Ink Demon’s grasp and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the doll that Jordy was holding ripped open, revealing a small spider-like ink creature. It launched itself at her, wrapping her body around with its tendrils and knocking her down. Alice used this as her advantage to grab Boris and rush out of the warehouse before the demon could recover.

_**"Oh no, you don't!** **"**_ Bendy stood back up to begin chasing after Alice, but stopped once he remembered Jordy being ensnared by the ink creature. He turned back and ripped it off of her, tearing it in half. _**"** **Are you okay?"**_

"Petrified, but alright," Jordy replied, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves as she stood up. "I'm just glad that thing didn't eat me."

_**"Yeah, good thing...** **"**_ Bendy turned back to the direction Alice was heading. _**"** **Can you still walk?"**_

"Yeah, I can. What about you? Alice really hit you in the nuts back there--wait, do you even have nuts?"

Bendy didn't feel like dignifying her question with a response. _**"Right now, let's focus on getting Poochy back."**_

"Right, okay." Jordy took the lead to a long hallway. It was surrounded by Alice and Bendy cutouts and some places were even flooded with ink. It didn't feel good on her shoes, but she needed to save Boris. "Dear God, how can that woman run so fast?" she asked.

_**"That ain't no woman,** **"**_ Bendy replied, following after her. _**"** **And when I'm done with her, she'll be even less than that..."**_


	9. The Negotiation

Soon enough, the two made it to the end of the hallway and found another sealed door up ahead. Jordy reached over to grab and pull the lever down. But nothing happened. The door was still closed. "Are you kidding me right now?” She repeatedly tried to pull it up and down. “Come on, work!” But despite her efforts, she just couldn’t get the door to open. She groaned in frustration. “Great. Well, I guess we’re stuck here.”

**_“Or…”_** Bendy stood back, then slammed his entire body against the door, violently knocking it off its hinges and onto the floor ahead of them.

Jordy’s eyes dilated, stunned by Bendy’s strength. “Oh. That works, too. Thanks, Ben!”

_**"Let's go,** **"**_ Bendy said bluntly, leading the way down the hall. He didn't remember this portion of the studio. Then again, he had spent so long in his cage that he was experiencing a lot for the first time in what felt like ages.

Jordy followed Bendy until they reached a wooden railway that led to a room with the sign 'Level K' on the wall. "Bendy, look!" she said, pointing her finger below the steps. "The elevator!"

_**"** **About time,** **"**_ Bendy said. He rushed down the stairs and then pressed the button to open the elevator. _**"** **I can drop you off at the top floor, and then I can go back and rip Alice's head off her neck..."**_

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Jordy said, stopping herself. "I can't leave yet! What about Boris?"

_**"Don't you wanna go back home?** **"**_

"I do, yes, but I promised Boris I'd take him with me. And whatever Alice is planning on doing with him, we need to rescue him."

Bendy let out a heavy sigh and gave her room in the elevator. _**"** **Fine. You lead the way then."**_

"Thank you," Jordy said, stepping into the elevator. "I promise, I'll leave as soon as we rescue Boris, okay?"

_**"Okay ... now we just need to figure out where they went,** **"**_ Bendy thought aloud. _**"** **If they even took the elevator, that is."**_

Just then, a familiar voice smoothly hummed over the intercom. Jordy kept still as the demented angel spoke. _**"Welcome lady and gentle-demon. I will be your guide this evening as we tour through the depths of the studio. If you wish to begin, come to Level 9."**_

Bendy looked at the control panel on the elevator, displaying a button representing every floor of the studio. He fixed his gaze on the Level 9 button. _**"** **Well this doesn't sound like a trap at all, now does it?"**_

Jordy took a moment to process Alice's words as she stared at the button. Bendy was right. It could be a trap. But if the Angel was there, then they had to take this chance. "Just do it," Jordy said reluctantly.

Bendy shrugged and pressed the button to take them down to Level 9. The elevator slowly creaked and shuffled before moving to its destination.

Jordy watched as the elevator slowly descended into the cavern. She didn't like what she was about to get into, but she didn't want to give up on Boris either. She inched herself a little closer to Bendy. "Thanks for coming with me, by the way."

_**"Well ... I owed you at least this...** **"**_ Bendy replied.

Jordy gave him a small smile. "I appreciate it."

Soon, the elevator stopped. The doors opened up, revealing the floor to them. Jordy walked out first, then Bendy followed.

_**"And up ahead, we see an unlikely pair stepping out of their cage** **,"**_ Alice spoke dramatically. _**"** **A cat-girl and the Ink Demon journey beyond the ebony depths to save their little buddy, Boris the Wolf.** **"**_ She chuckled. _**"** **Only one can wonder how these two came to be friends, to begin with. Especially given the Ink Demon's reputation of being the most hated thing in existence."**_

Bendy bared his teeth, feeling the violent urge to rip Alice in half. But for Jordy's sake, he quelled it, not dignifying Alice's commentary with any form of response. He just kept silent and continued forward down the hall.

Jordy looked up at Bendy, knowing Alice's words were bothering him, even if he didn't show it. By instinct, she reached over for his gloved hand, but then held back, not wanting Alice to see. "Don't let her get to you," she whispered as they kept walking.

The silence continued to fill the air for a few more moments. Afterward, Bendy finally spoke. _**"** **What do you want with him, anyway?** **"**_ he called out, expecting an answer from Alice. _**"** **What good is that silly mutt to you?"**_

_**"You of all people should know, considering what you did to me** **,”**_ Alice replied bitterly. Then she changed her tone as the two walked up to the entrance to her sanctuary. **_“That 'silly mutt' is but a perfect version of his kind that I've ever seen. And therefore, he will be the one to make me beautiful again."_**

Hearing those words made Jordy feel confused. "What do you mean 'perfect version of his kind?'"

Alice grinned with wickedness. _**"** **See for yourself.** **"**_

With a push of a button, she opened the doors to grant them access to a vast chamber. Inside were multiple clones of Boris, all spread out and strapped to tables with their chests cut open.

Jordy gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my God..."

Bendy stepped onto the boardwalk, fixing his gaze as he observed the hollowed Boris corpses. _**"** **Hmm ... why Boris of all things?"**_

_**“Because unlike all the other disgusting wretches out there, he came out the most perfect toon ever brought to life,”**_ Alice replied, her voice shifting to a higher, angelic pitch. _**“And it took so many of his clones to make me so beautiful. Those less than perfect were left behind.”**_

Jordy was starting to feel sick to her stomach just looking at the corpses. Even a foul smell was left behind that nearly made her puke. “Poor Boris...”

_**"Don't worry, she won't get a chance to open up our Boris,"**_ Bendy assured. _ **"I'll probably pry her open first.** **"**_ He let out a demented chuckle.

_**“We shall see about that** **,”**_ Alice said nonchalantly.

Soon, Bendy and Jordy made it to the entrance to her sanctuary, where she was hidden from the outside world. There were two ink searchers keeping guard. Bendy snarled at them but they showed no fear. They only kept watching with firm eyes.

_**“Now then, I shall see the girl privately in my lab for a little negotiation,** **”**_ Alice said. _**“** **The Ink Demon will have to wait outside.”**_

Bendy let out another subdued growl. _**"** **Any reason you don't want me to listen in on this 'negotiation' of yours?"**_

_**“Well, to put it bluntly, I don’t trust you.** _ _**Besides, she’s a big girl. She can take care of herself. It won’t be long anyway.”** _

“It’s okay, Ben," Jordy said. "I got this.”

After a short pause, the demon put up his hands. _**"** **Fine, whatever you want..."**_

With a nod, Jordy turned back to the entrance. Once the doors opened, she walked inside.

Bendy watched her disappear from sight, letting out a sigh. Then he glanced down at the Searchers that continued eyeballing him. **_"What are YOU looking at?"_**

* * *

The corridor was short but barely lit. More mechanical engineering sounds rang through her eardrums. Jordy swallowed a lump down her throat, hoping that whatever Alice wanted wasn't too stress-inducing.

Soon enough, Jordy came into the room where Alice was, hiding behind a glass window behind a series of switches. _**“There you are,** **”**_ the Angel grinned. _**“** **Thanks for cooperating and leaving your ‘friend’ outside. This is women’s business, after all.”**_

Jordy felt nervous just by looking at Alice. Her face was even more disfigured up-close. But the girl took a deep breath and spoke firmly. “Where’s Boris?”

Boris groaned as he started to wake from his state of unconsciousness. Upon noticing he was strapped to a table, he instinctively struggled to try and escape his confinements. "W-Where am I?" he spoke, panic-stricken. "Why am I here? What's going on?"

Alice turned over to Boris’s direction, annoyed that her morphine had worn off. _**“** **Oh great, now you woke up the pup.** **”** _She then sighed and shrugged her shoulders. _**“**_ ** _Oh well. You asked for him and here he is.”_ **She walked over to the other side of the closed space she was in and pulled Boris’s gurney into the light, revealing him to Jordy.

“Boris!” Jordy exclaimed, rushing over to the glass window.

Boris's ears perked up upon hearing the girl say his name. "Jordy! I am so glad to be seeing you. What's going on here?"

_**“You, my friend, are in for a little experiment that I intend to perform,** **”**_ Alice said, gazing down at Boris with lust in her eyes. _**“** **Buuuut, if Jordy here is willing to make a deal, maybe I might change my mind.”**_

“What deal?” Jordy asked.

Alice smiled and grabbed a piece of paper from her desk, slipping it under the door. _**“** **I have here a list of things that need to be collected. If you can do so in a limited amount of time, you and Boris are free to leave this place.”**_

"I wouldn't trust this woman, Jordy," Boris called out. "This workspace is far from sanitary, and I don't believe she's an officially licensed surgeon." Jordy let out an amused snicker.

_**“Quiet** **,”**_ Alice said, clamping Boris’s mouth shut with her hand. Then she turned to Jordy with a smile. _**“** **Do we have a deal?”**_

Jordy silenced her laughter, hesitant. Although Boris’s feedback was comical, he was right to think that Alice was untrustworthy. But what other choice did she have at this point? “If I do this, you’ll let him go?”

_**“Cross my heart and hope to die again,** **”**_ Alice replied, drawing an X on her chest before placing her hand on it.

“Fine then."

Boris, angered by Alice silencing him, slipped out of her grasp and chomped down on her hand.

Alice shrieked as Boris bit her, taking out a hammer with her free hand to clobber Boris in the head. The blunt force knocked the wolf unconscious.

This frightened Jordy so much that she fled the laboratory. She hoped these tasks wouldn’t be too daunting and that she’d be able to rescue Boris in time.


	10. Turning the Gears

Bendy tapped his foot impatiently as he waited outside. It frustrated him knowing he wasn't allowed to listen in on the deal. Even more so, the fact that the Searchers still had their hollow eyes glued to him made him uncomfortable. **_"Seriously, don't you two have anything better to do?!"_** he snapped at them. **_"Quit gawking at me!"_**

Before Bendy knew it, the Searchers retreated into their puzzles and he spotted Jordy running out of the sanctuary. He immediately stopped her, placing his hands on her shoulders. _**"** **Alright, so what did the mangled up hag want?"**_

Jordy caught herself, staring up at Bendy. She took a deep, shaky breath to try to compose herself from what just happened. “She ... she said she wanted me to collect some stuff for her and gave me this list,” she said, handing the sheet of paper to Bendy. “Only then will she let Boris go.”

Bendy took the list and skimmed through it. _**"** **Feh. So she made you another delivery kid,** **"**_ he mumbled, handing the list back to her. _**"** **Alright, let's get it over with..."**_

_**“Before you go,"**_ Alice spoke through the intercom, _ **"you’re going to need some tools to help you.** **”**_

One of the Searchers spawned back up, holding a giant backpack for Jordy to carry with her during the scavenger hunt. Reluctantly, she took it, throwing it over her shoulders.

_**“Alright, so I will give you ... mmmm, 45 minutes to find the things on my list.** _ _**That should be more than enough time for you, right?"** _

_**"Yeah, yeah, and you better hold up your end of the bargain, toots,"** _ Bendy said nonchalantly. _**"Or else I'll bust up the other half of your face…”**_

Alice growled in resentment. She never liked Bendy, especially knowing he was a threat and wouldn’t let him go near her. But she regained her composure in a heartbeat. _**“Yes, yes, of course.**_ _ **Now go, the clock is ticking.”**_

Jordy followed the angel’s orders and set off toward the elevator with Bendy.

_**“Oh, and one last thing** **,”**_ the angel added. Bendy and Jordy stopped at the sudden interruption. _**“** **Although the Ink Demon may accompany you during your travel, he CANNOT help you.”**_

Bendy turned to the Angel with annoyance. _ **"And if I DO decide to lend a hand?...** **"**_

_**“Then Boris will be mine...** **”**_ Alice sneered, getting real close to the microphone.

Jordy didn’t want any trouble, even though she wanted Bendy to help her to speed up Boris's rescue. Feeling nervous, she reached out for the demon's hand again. "Ben...?"

Bendy turned to Jordy and stared at her hand. After a moment to contemplate, he pulled away. _**"** **Hey, you're a big girl.**_ _ **You don't always need me to hold your hand."**_

Jordy felt embarrassed by his response and pulled back. “S-Sorry ... let’s go,” she mumbled, keeping her head down as she went to the elevator.

_**"Hey, she said she'll keep Boris if I helped,"**_ he replied as he followed her. _**"I'm just doing my part.** **"**_

“I know, I know ... I’m sorry.” Jordy sighed, pressing the button to open the door. “I’m just scared.”

_**"It'll be okay. I know you're a tough cookie. You can handle it, and Boris will be okay..."** _

Jordy looked back up at Bendy, finding his words to be reassuring. She smiled and stepped inside as the elevator door opened. “Thanks, Ben.”

**_"No problem, kid,_** ** _"_** Bendy replied as he entered the elevator with her.

“Anyway, let’s look at that list.” Jordy pulled the list out and read it aloud. “The first task is ... 'Find 3 gears in boxes on Level K.’ Weren’t we there before?”

**_"Yep. She's gonna send us throughout the studio looking for her junk._ ** **_And she's probably gonna do whatever she can to slow us down so that we go past her time limit."_ **

“That’ll be fun...” Jordy muttered sarcastically. “Oh well. Level K, it is. Press that button, please.”

Bendy nodded as he pressed the button, leading them to the desired floor. Within seconds, the elevator reached Level K, the doors opening for the cat-girl and Ink Demon to step out of. As they walked back upstairs, Jordy looked at the list again. “So it says to find 3 gears in boxes ... what does she mean by ‘boxes?’”

_**"The fuse boxes, I'm guessing** **,"**_ Bendy said. _**"** **There's plenty of them on this floor so it shouldn't take you that long."**_

“Sounds simple enough.” As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Jordy found a fuse box hanging on the wall. She took off the backpack, putting it on the floor to open it up. “Okay, let’s see what we got here...” She rummaged through the inside of her bag until she found the tool she needed and pulled it out. “A wrench! Sweet!”

Bendy leaned over Jordy as she was checking her bag. _**"** **So what all did that two-faced broad put in that knapsack?"**_

“Hmm, I dunno. Let’s see...” Jordy opened the compartment wider to get a better glimpse of the tools inside. “Looks like an ax, three syringes, and—” Her face twisted when she saw the last weapon and pulled it out. “Is that a plunger?”

_**"Trust me, living here for who knows how long, a toilet plunger is the least disgusting thing here...** **"**_ Bendy turned his gaze down one of the halls, checking to see if anything or anyone was coming. _" **In any case, you better get a move on."**_

“Alright, alright...” Jordy sighed, putting the plunger back in before standing up with her wrench. She carefully unscrewed each bolt until she was able to open the box’s cover. Inside was a gold rusted gear on display for her taking. She carefully twisted it counter-clockwise until she was able to pull it out. “Okay! One down, two to go!”

_**"Not bad,** **"**_ Bendy said with an impressed tone. Though deep down, he was annoyed that he was forced to simply be an observer and not take manners in his own hands. Even so, he had to comply for Jordy's sake.

“Thank you,” the girl responded proudly. With a smile on her face, she put the gear inside the smaller compartment of her bag and closed it up before moving on to the next gearbox. She was able to find it with ease over by the broken doorway. But when she opened it, there was no gear inside. “Aww, what? It’s empty? What a gip!”

Bendy observed the empty box. _**"I guess that one of those stupid Searchers got to it before we got here..."**_ he said.

"Damn it."

Just then, Jordy heard a strange sound coming from the hallway. It sounded like raspy whispering. And it was coming this way. "What was that?"

_**"Not sure, but stay alert,** **"**_ Bendy responded as he stood by Jordy's side. He was ready for whatever was coming, but also had to restrain himself because of the 'Angel's' request.

Jordy hid well behind the corner with Bendy as she kept her eyes peeled for the trespasser. And what she saw trudging forward into the room shocked her. It was a small deformed cartoon chimp with a slack jaw and a gouge in his eye. He also appeared to be missing an arm and had a plunger for a leg. In his amputated appendage was something round and golden.

"He's got the gear!" Jordy realized. "How do we get it from him?"

_**"** **Ya take it from him, obviously** , **"**_ Bendy whispered back. _**"** **Look at him, he can barely hurt a fly in the bad shape he's in."**_

Jordy felt wary about what Bendy said. Was he right? Only one way to find out. Immediately, she stepped forward and proceeded to grab the gear from the chimp. But once she got close, he swung his pipe at her. Luckily he missed, but she fled back to Bendy afterward.

_**“What are you doing?!** **”**_ Bendy hissed through his teeth. _ **“** **You almost had it!”**_

“He was gonna hit me!” Jordy hissed back, feeling scared.

_**“Come on! You can’t play chicken now! Fight him back!”** _

“How?!”

Suddenly, the creature appeared right behind Jordy, growling in her ear. She screamed, instinctually hitting him with her wrench and causing him to fall on the floor and drop the gear. Her eyes went wide in shock. "Oh my God, did I just kill him?!"

**_"No, he's just unconscious,"_** Bendy confirmed. **_"Trust me, if he were dead, he'd be dissolving back into the ink by now."_** He pointed to the gear that laid on the floor. **_"And look, there's the gear, all for the taking. Go on and pick it up."_**

Jordy's heart nearly pounded against her chest. She never thought she was capable of physically harming a living creature (except for spiders and bugs) until now. It scared her, but Bendy's words made her snap out of it and she immediately picked up the gear.

_**“There you go,"**_ Bendy said. _ **"**_ _ **Now then, how many more of those do we need to find?”**_

“Just one,” Jordy replied after putting the gear in her backpack. “Hopefully we’ll find it soon.”

_**“I’m sure we will,** **”**_ Bendy replied. _**“** **Now come on. We gotta keep moving if we want to get Poochy back.”**_

Jordy nodded, picking up her feet to search for the last fuse box. Bendy followed her carefully, keeping his guard up in case anything else came across their way. Even if he couldn't fight, he was still going to make sure nothing else would come near Jordy and stall them on their timed quest.


	11. Deep In the Thick of It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually went back to fix this chapter because I had a different structure in mind for the scene.

After a short while, the last gear was retrieved. Its fuse box was hiding within a row of shelves filled with Heavenly Toy plushies. Jordy wasn't always good at finding things right away, so it did take an extra few minutes of their time. But as soon as she found that tricky hiding place, she triumphed over her little victory.

"And that makes Gear #3!" Jordy said proudly as she put it in her backpack.

_**"Finally,"**_ Bendy sighed, relieved that they didn't have to look through any more empty boxes. **_"What do we need to look for next?"_**

"Good question. Let's see." Jordy reached into her purse and took out the list. She read the next words aloud. "'Extract extra think ink from 3 Swollen Ones. Use one syringe for each.'"

**_"Well then, what are we waiting for?"_** Bendy decided to take the lead as he and Jordy headed back for the elevator. Once they got there, he pushed the door open, allowing Jordy to step inside before he did.

As soon as she went in, Jordy went ahead and pressed the 'Level 11' button, which was their next location. "Oh, hey! My favorite number," she remarked, letting out a giggle.

Bendy just raised a brow bone, confused as to why she would say that. Must've been an inside joke of some sort. He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it further.

The elevator soon rose to Level 11. The area was mostly an empty corridor surrounded by blotches of ink.

Speaking of which, Jordy caught sight of one of the Searchers up ahead. But this one was much bigger than the others she had seen before.

"Is that a Swollen One?" she asked.

**_"Shh!_** _ **"**_ Bendy hushed, not wanting the Searcher to hear them. Unfortunately, it did, shooting its head up in their direction before sinking into its inky puddle. Bendy groaned. **_"Yep, that was it alright."_**

"Sorry..." Jordy mumbled with guilt.

**_"It's fine. There's more of those big fellas down the hall. Just keep quiet and don't take too long 'cause they tend to get scared easily."_ **

Jordy understood and nodded in response. She caught sight of another Swollen Searcher appearing by the corridor's opening with its back turned. She took out the first syringe from her backpack, holding onto it carefully. Then she stepped out of the elevator and cautiously walked down the hallway, trying her best not to make too much noise. But the floorboards were so creaky that it agitated her and she had to slow down her movements to make sure the Swollen One wouldn't hear her.

Jordy was just within reach of the big inkling when it caught the sound of her and Bendy's footsteps. After taking one glance at the Ink Demon, it disappeared hastily.

"Damn it!" she cursed. "I almost had it!"

**_"Guess they're the only ones still afraid of me,"_** Bendy shrugged. **_"Whether or not that's a good thing, I don't care at this point."_**

"But if they keep running away because of you, it's gonna make my job a lot harder." Jordy turned to her right and noticed a wooden box with a black halo on the door. It read 'Little Miracle Station.' "Why don't you go hide in that box over there?"

Bendy's face contorted. **_"I ain't going in there. I can't even fit inside those Miracle Stations! I'll just hide behind the wall instead."_**

"Ugh, fine," Jordy groaned. "But hurry up."

**_"Yeah, yeah, don't have to tell me twice, toots,"_** Bendy brushed off before creating an ink portal and hiding behind the closet wall next to him.

Within seconds, another Swollen Searcher emerged from a pool of ink, splashing, and bathing itself like nobody's business. Jordy saw this as the perfect opportunity to sneak up on him, leaning back against the wall and shimmying her way over the ledge.

Bendy watched from inside his portal as Jordy proceeded to catch the Swollen One. He didn't move a muscle, nor did he say a word, for he knew if he did, the Searcher would disappear again. And he didn't want that to add to Jordy's frustration.

Jordy's heart raced with anxiety as she got closer to the Swollen One. Not only did she fear of losing it again, but also of falling into the ebony pond. As soon as she was within reach of the Swollen Searcher, she gripped the wooden frame next to her with one hand, then quickly bent over to plunge the needle into the creature's back. It moaned in pain as its ink was extracted from its body and immediately vanished from sight.

"Haha! Yes!" Jordy cheered, holding the syringe in the air. But as she tried to stand back up, she lost her balance and nearly dropped the tool into the ink.

Luckily, a pair of hands reached out and grabbed Jordy's torso, as well as the syringe before both of them, could fall.

**_"Gotcha!"_** Bendy said, peeking his head out of the portal.

For a moment, Jordy's heart stopped. Her fall was too close for comfort. But she took a deep breath and sighed. "Thank you."

**_"Don't mention it, kid."_** Bendy guided Jordy off the ledge and onto solid ground. **_"Though for a second there, I thought you were about to take a bath and come out with a new makeover."_**

"Ha-ha," Jordy remarked sarcastically. She twisted side to side to stretch herself out. "But yeah, good thing I managed to catch one before I lost my footing."

**_"Good thing indeed,"_** Bendy replied. **_"Now you just need to find two more and we're off the hook."_**

As soon as Bendy said that, something wrapped around Jordy's wrist and began tugging at her. It was another deformed cartoon character, whose head was attached to some sort of fishing rod. It was trying to take the syringe away from her, but she managed to grab it in her free hand and cut herself loose with the needle, making the creature fall backward.

Bendy was tempted to finish it off himself, but he still had to honor his agreement to Alice's deal. This was starting to irritate him to no end.

Seeing that the headless body was starting to move again, Jordy quickly switched syringes from her backpack and kicked it down with her foot. The creature tried hitting her ankle with the rod to break free, but it stopped once Jordy injected the needle into its chest. Slowly, she pulled the plunger back to fill up the barrel before letting go. She stood back as the creature dissolved, holding her sore wrist to her mouth to blow on it.

**_"You okay?"_** Bendy asked, noticing her action.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jordy replied. "That thing had a pretty good grip on my wrist though." She showed him the mark that the creature made on her wrist with its rod. There was a ring of red, but not enough to give her a cut.

**_"It'll heal soon. Just gotta shake it off,"_** Bendy replied. **_"Let's hurry and find that last Swollen One while we still can."_**


	12. Plunging for Power Cores

After locating the last Swollen Searcher, Bendy and Jordy returned to the elevator for their next task. The list read 'Find 3 valve panels and retrieve their power cores on Level P.'

Jordy wasn't sure what to expect for this assignment. None of the tools in her bag seemed necessary for opening the panels. There were just wheels attached to each valve.

"Guess I just turn these until all the fluid goes down?" she asked. "Or are they supposed to go all the way up?"

**_"I dunno,"_ ** Bendy shrugged. **_"I don't work with valve panels. Besides, I still can't help you, so you gotta figure it out for yourself, kid."_ **

Jordy tapped her chin as she pondered on what to do. She decided to go for her first instinct and turned the wheel on the left counter-clockwise. It barely budged, for it was rusty and hadn't been used in many years. But she managed to work around it and moved it slowly until it was looser.

As Jordy was working on the valve panels, Bendy kept watching in case any more of those Searchers or mangled gremlins came by. Aside from the sounds of the squeaky wheels and the fluid draining from the valves, it was eerily silent. It didn't give him any comfort in the slightest.

"No, that's not right..." Jordy mumbled, turning the wheels the opposite direction. She then felt a cold drop hit her shoulder. Another landed on her head. She halted and turned around to see Bendy's ink was dripping down onto her hastily. He was growing more impatient the longer Jordy was taking to figure out how to get the valve panel to open. His gloved hand fidgeted against his side.

"Um, Ben...you're getting your ink all over me," Jordy said politely, shielding her arm over her head.

**_"Well, you ain't doing a good job hurrying up!"_ ** Bendy spat.

"Okay, okay, sorry! I'm trying my best here."

**_"Well, try faster!"_ ** Bendy groaned, moving over to the side to lean against the wall. He crossed his arms, letting out a low growl.

Once again, Jordy wasn't liking Bendy's attitude, but she didn't have time to argue with him. 20 minutes had passed on the clock already and there was still more work to be done.

She examined the valve panel once more. That was when she noticed the huge dots on the valves. "Oh, okay, I see what I need to do." She rotated each wheel once again until they were all aligned at the center.

Soon enough, the door clicked open and Jordy was able to take the power core from inside. "There we go!"

Bendy sighed heavily. **_"Took ya long enough,"_ ** he remarked as he moved away from the wall.

"I said I was sorry, okay?" Jordy replied, feeling peeved by Bendy's nagging. "I'm not the best at figuring things out right away and I'm on edge with my anxiety, so I would appreciate it if you'd stop pushing me and let me do my work."

**_"Fine,"_ ** Bendy hissed through his teeth. **_"Now let's go. We're burning daylight."_ **

Jordy said nothing to Bendy's response. Instead, she put the power core in her backpack and moved on. It didn't take long to find the other valve panel. It was located inside a room with one of the Bendy posters next to it. And this time, Jordy was able to turn the wheels the right way at a much better speed.

But just as she unlocked the valve panel's door, a couple of Searchers emerged from the ground and crawled up to her.

Bendy noticed this and shouted, **_"Kid, behind you!"_ **

Before Jordy could fully turn around, the Searchers stretched her arms and grabbed her by the legs. She yelped as their hands latched onto her, trying to pull her into their puddles. "Get off me!" she shouted, kicking her feet to pry them off.

Bendy's face grew pale as he watched. He needed to do something. He couldn't fight the Searchers nor could he pull them off her or scare them away. There had to be some sort of loophole around this situation.

Just then, Bendy looked up and noticed a rafter had a crack in it, about to break at any minute. This gave him the perfect idea. Without hesitation, Bendy brought his fist to the wall and banged on it once with a strong force. The shockwave was so powerful that the rafter broke and fell flat on the Searchers.

Jordy jumped back as the impact happened, but as soon as she saw the Searchers were squished, she was not only surprised but overjoyed. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed.

**_"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can thank me later._** _ **Let's go!"**_ Bendy said before running off.

"Okay!" Jordy replied as she followed him.

But as they turned over to the next corner, they came face-to-face with another mangled cartoon monster. This one resembled a spider, but with four arms and two legs. Two of those arms were bound together by a wooden plank with a cartoon gloved fist attached at the top. He also had one human eye in his eye socket, stitches across his face and mouth, and a pair of chattering teeth embedded at the top of his head.

**_"Oh great. Just what we needed,"_** Bendy rolled his ink-covered eyes in annoyance.

"Don't worry, Ben. I'll take care of this one." Jordy reached her arm behind her back, searching for a weapon to fight the creature with. As soon as she felt one, she quickly drew it out, holding it before the spider. She was hoping what she pulled out was the ax. But then she realized it was the plunger. "Aww, man! Really?"

The spider made the first move and raised his wooden fist to Jordy. She evaded the attack right away and tried running from the creature, but it kept chasing her.

**_"Kid, come on, you gotta hit him!"_** Bendy scolded, standing in the middle of their circle. _**"Now's not the time to play Ring Around the Rosie!"**_

"But I can't hit him with this!" Jordy complained, still avoiding the spider. "How is that gonna do anything?!"

**_"Just do it!"_ **

In a state of panic, Jordy gave in and hit the plunger on the spider's head. He recoiled, but fought back, landing a punch on Jordy's lower right jaw. She continued to hit him repeatedly, though since the blows were being landed by the suction cup, it wasn't doing much damage.

"It's not working!" Jordy raised her voice. "What do I do?!"

**_"Whatever you can to distract him!"_** Bendy answered **. _"Use your imagination!"_**

At that moment, Jordy decided to try a different tactic. Hopefully, one that would work. She stuck the plunger's suction cup onto the spider's face and kicked him backward. As he struggled to get the plunger off his face, Jordy noticed something fall on the ground. It was the last power core.

Quickly, she grabbed it and continued running with Bendy until they reached the elevator. After stepping inside, she managed to press the button and close the doors behind her before the spider caught up to them. He shook his fist as he watched them ascend. Jordy couldn't help but blow a raspberry at him before they disappeared.

Meanwhile, Bendy was catching his breath, resting his gloved hand on his chest. But then, his pants turned into chuckles until he suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jordy asked, confused.

**_"Oh, man! HAHAHA!!"_** Bendy chortled. _**"Th-the way you stuck that plunger onto that spider's face! Devildamn, it was pure genius!"**_

Bendy's laughter was growing so contagious that Jordy herself couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Oh my God, you're right!" The two shared a moment of laughter as they rode up the elevator.

Then, after giving themselves a chance to breathe, Jordy looked up to Bendy's face. "Hey, you're smiling," she said.

**_"Yeah, so?"_** Bendy asked.

"You hardly ever do. I like seeing you smile like that. You should do it more often."

Bendy was speechless. He had spent years stuck with the same expression on his face. He didn't think anyone would like his smile, which was why he learned to get rid of it. But hearing Jordy say those words gave him some vote of confidence. **_"Heh...thanks, kid."_**

Jordy smiled back. "You're welcome. Anyway, let's see what the next task is." She opened her purse and withdrew the list once again. "So, we got the gears, the ink, and the power cores. Next is..." She studied the words thoroughly to make sure she was reading them correctly. "'Destroy all Bendy cutouts on Level K.'"


	13. Cutout Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where we see a different side of Bendy. A more...impulsive side.

The demon's smile faded once he heard those words. _'Destroy all Bendy cutouts...'_ This was the one mission he had hoped Alice wouldn't put on the list, for he hated it when she messed with his things.

**_"...You're gonna kill my babies?"_** he asked, his pitch growing higher with anxiety.

Jordy blinked in confusion. His 'babies?' Was he really referring to the cutouts as such? "What? Bendy, are you serious?" she asked.

**_"Yes, I'm serious!_ _I don't want that two-faced snag breaking any more of my cutouts! She's done that enough!"_ **

Jordy was taken aback by the demon's reaction. "But Ben, we need to in order to save Boris! And we don't have a lot of time left."

The elevator soon came to a stop at their destination and Jordy proceeded to walk out.

But before she could go anywhere else, Bendy stopped her, putting both hands on her shoulders and looking down at her with direct eye contact. **_"Kid, listen to me. I don't normally do this, especially now, but I'm asking you REALLY nicely. We'll find another way to free Boris, but PLEASE, I'm BEGGING you, don't destroy my cutouts. Please..."_**

Jordy never took her eyes off Bendy's ink-covered face. He looked so apprehensive. She couldn't help but feel bad for him. Part of her wanted to comply with his request to help him feel better.

But instead, she sighed and gently pushed his hands away from her. "Bendy...I'm sorry. I have to do this." She then turned away from him and began heading upstairs.

Along the way, she found the first cutout on the floor next to the elevator. She slid the backpack off her shoulders so she could retrieve her ax, pulling it out by the handle so she didn't cut herself.

Bendy just watched from behind as Jordy hopped down from the stairs' platform and onto the floor, positioning herself to swing the ax at his cutout. He didn't like this at all. Why did the Angel make her do this? Just to humiliate and torture him even further? This made him bubble in internal anger until he heard the sound of cardboard being smashed into pieces by the ax's hatchet.

Jordy let out a sigh before climbing up the barrel platforms to reach the stairs. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked Bendy with a genuine smile.

**_"Uh, yeah, sure,"_** Bendy replied dismissively. **_"Why don't you go on ahead? I'll catch up to ya."_**

Jordy tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

**_"Yeah, I'm sure."_ **

"Well, okay then. Meet me in the Toy Factory." Jordy spun around and continued her way up until she left the room.

Once she was gone, Bendy hopped off the stairs and bent down on one knee to stare at the broken pieces of his prized possession. He picked one up and held it in his hands, feeling empty inside. It hurt to see the image of the cartoon devil destroyed. It was what Joey wanted him to be before things went wrong. Before he took one look at the demon with disgust and ordered him to be locked away.

Rage built inside Bendy as the memories began flooding back into his brain. Not realizing he still had the cutout's piece in his hands, it snapped in two and dissolved into black sawdust. He immediately stood up and ran through his ink portal, escaping the room and his intrusive thoughts.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jordy had just finished destroying the seventh cutout located outside of the Toy Machine room. She turned her head before heading over to the Heavenly Toys lounge. Bendy hadn't shown up in the last few minutes since they got off the elevator. She hoped he was alright. Though she didn't understand why this mission was making him uptight, it didn't mean she didn't care. She just needed to focus more on getting Boris back so they could leave.

Jordy looked down at her watch again. The half-hour mark was approaching faster than she realized. She needed to get this over with. Picking up her feet, she jogged down the stairs, holding onto the rail with one hand, and then sprinted toward the cutouts.

But just as she was about to aim for the one leaning on one of the gates, it drowned into a puddle of ink at astonishing speed.

"What the hell?!" she said in shock.

Soon another cutout sank. Then another, and another. But before the last one could, Jordy ran over to the other side, gripped the cutout in her hands, and pulled backward. The force keeping it from coming back up was strong, but she was persistent.

After a bit of struggling, Jordy managed to fully yank it, stumbling to the floor at the sudden weight release. Then she looked over and saw the source of the ink puddles stick his horned head out from the floor. "Bendy?!" she addressed with shock. "What are you doing?!"

The demon froze, looking guilty. **_"Uh, I was just..."_** he began to speak. He immediately dropped his facade and lunged forward with his hand outstretched to the cutout. **_"Gimme that!"_**

"No!" Jordy said, pulling the cutout back. "What's the matter with you?!"

**_"Nothing! And I ain't asking you again, kid! Give me the devildamn cutout!"_** Bendy forcefully grabbed the cardboard figurine and tried to yank it out of Jordy's hands, but she yanked back.

"Bendy, stop it! You're being ridiculous! It's just a cutout!"

**_"No, it's not!_ ** **_I ain't letting that broad manipulate you into killing my babies! Now let...GO!!"_ **

The force of Bendy's last tug was so strong that it sent the cutout flying, its horned head getting stuck on the ceiling.

Jordy and Bendy stared at it before exchanging swift glances to each other. Then Bendy proceeded to run toward one of the couches next to a rafter. Though he was fast, Jordy tried her best to sprint after him. By the time Bendy reached the couch, he climbed up on its arm and bent his knees, ready to jump and latch onto the rafter.

But before he could, Jordy caught up with him and sprung onto his back. The demon's feet wobbled as he struggled to regain his balance. Luckily, he leaned forward and gripped one hand on the rafter for support, but he felt his neck being tugged by a pair of folded arms.

**_"G-get off of me, kid!"_** Bendy choked as he used his free hand to try to pry Jordy's arms off.

"Not until you stop obsessing over this!" Jordy replied, keeping her hold firm on the demon's neck and even around his waist.

Bendy growled and briskly bent himself backward, causing Jordy to fly off and land hard on the couch. Then the demon leaped onto the rafter and began his mount.

Shaking her head from the sudden movement, Jordy watched as Bendy was making his way up to the ceiling. She needed to do something to stop him. She unhooked her backpack from her shoulders and searched inside for something to throw at him.

The demon grunted with every climb he took to get to the top. Eventually, he made it all the way up, the cutout just inches within his reach.

He let out a prideful chuckle. **_"That's it, baby. Come to Papa!"_** Bendy stretched his gloved hand, grunting as he tried to get his fingers to touch the cardboard.

But before he could even grab it, an ax came flying overhead and landed right between Bendy's fingertips and the cutout itself. The demon recoiled and froze when it happened.

"That's as far as you'll go, Mister!" Jordy shouted from below.

Bendy slowly turned his head when he saw her. He was in shock. He didn't think she of all people would throw an ax at him. Sweat ran down his face like the ink that covered his paper skin.

"Now, unless you want me to throw something else at you," Jordy lightly threatened, "you'll come back down with my ax AND the cutout. NOW!!"

There was prolonged hesitation within the demon. He didn't want to give up his cutout. He wanted to hold it close and whimper like a puppy dog. But as much as he hated to admit it, Jordy was right. He finally came to his senses and let out a long, irritated sigh.

**_"Fine,"_** he muttered before taking out the cutout and then the ax. He didn't even bother sliding down the rafter safely. Instead, he just jumped down and landed on his feet right in front of Jordy. The impact caused a small shockwave underneath the floorboards, but it soon passed.

The demon then gave Jordy her ax back and slammed the cutout right onto the floor before backing away with his hands up. **_"Happy?"_**

"Yes," Jordy replied bluntly after taking back the ax. "Now bring back the rest of the cutouts you stole."

Bendy's face warped. **_"What?!"_**

"Bendy, we already wasted enough time as it is! You need to cooperate!"

The demon growled once more, but then sighed before snapping his fingers, summoning seven ink portals from below the surface. One by one, all of the cutouts that resided in the lounge returned to their rightful places. 

**_"There. Done,"_** the Ink Demon stated bluntly. **_"Just get it over with while I go wait by the elevator."_** Bendy was just about to turn around and leave, but then stopped himself to face Jordy once more. **_"Oh, and just a TEENSY word of caution for future reference..."_** The demon hovered over Jordy, darting his head down to her height and pointed his gloved finger at her. **_"Don't. EVER. Throw your ax at me like that again."_** He punctuated his words with harsh emphasis. **_"Got it?"_**

"Fine, but next time, don't try to suplex me onto the couch to get me off your back when I'm trying to help you," Jordy argued.

**_"Whatever,"_** Bendy hissed before walking away and summoning his portal to the elevator.

Jordy was bothered by Bendy's behavior at this point. She didn't understand what his problem was, but she couldn't afford to find out at the moment. Instead, she held her ax tight in her grip and swung it back before slashing the cutout in front of her.


	14. The Apology

After finally destroying all the cutouts, Jordy let out a sigh and set her course back to the elevator. She firmly grasped her ax as she wandered down the halls, just in case any more ink creatures popped out to attack her. Luckily, there were none in sight, much to her surprise, so it made her travel much easier.

Eventually, she reached the room where the elevator was located and proceeded to head down the stairs. But as she did so, she noticed Bendy sitting on the bottom step. His head hung low and his shoulders were slumped. He even had an expression of melancholy showing on his lips. This concerned Jordy.

"Bendy?" she called to him. "Are you okay?"

The demon said nothing, nor did he turn his head to her. He just remained in position and let out a sharp exhale through his non-existent nostrils.

Jordy couldn't help but feel bad for Bendy. She wanted to know what was going on inside his mind. Taking a deep breath, she walked downstairs and met Bendy all the way, standing above him. "Ben, what's wrong?"

**_"Nothing,"_** the Ink Demon finally replied. His voice was low and dismissive. **_"I don't wanna talk."_**

Jordy sat down next to Bendy as she continued to inquire about him. "Are you really mad that I had to destroy those cutouts? Is that what it is?"

**_"I just said I don't wanna talk,"_** Bendy repeated, his voice growing sterner. **_"So zip it."_** He stood up and walked up to the elevator.

"Bendy, I just don't understand why you're so upset," Jordy insisted as she followed him. "Look, I'm sorry if I what I said hurt your feelings, but that's no reason for you to go berserk over some pieces of cardboard or even push me away when I'm trying to help you. So if you could just--"

Bendy swiftly turned to her and roared in her face. ** _"PUT A CORK IN IT, WILL YA?!?!"_** His voice was so loud that it echoed through the halls. Then everything faded into silence. Angry, shallow breaths seethed through the demon's teeth.

Jordy's eyes widened with shock. She wasn't expecting Bendy's sudden outburst. Though she told herself not to let it get to her, she was trembling with guilt. "I...I'm sorry..."

Bendy hitched his breathing to a halt. Hearing Jordy’s hurt tone of voice made him realize what he had done. Now he was the one feeling bad.

Jordy let out a discouraged sigh. "Fine. I'll drop it. Let’s go." She then walked past the Ink Demon and pressed the button to open the elevator door.

But before she stepped inside, Bendy stopped her by placing his hand on her shoulder. **_"Wait."_**

Jordy turned around to face him.

The demon pulled his hand back, hesitant. **_"I'm..."_** He spoke, trying to get his words out, but failing. He had never felt guilty of anything before, let alone apologized for it. But he owed it to Jordy for almost making her cry. He sighed. **_"_** ** _I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It was uncalled for. I'm sorry."_**

Jordy was a bit stunned by Bendy's apology, even if it did help her feel better. "Ben...i-it's okay--"

**_"No, it's not okay,"_** Bendy cut Jordy off. **_"You're right...I am upset about the cutouts, but that ain't no excuse for my behavior. So...I feel I owe you an explanation."_**

Jordy paused. "Well...only if you want to. I won't push you though."

Bendy nodded in acknowledgment. Then he took a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. **_"I spent years being told that I'm a failure. By Joey, by that harlot...everyone. I know deep down that I'm not the real Bendy. Hell, I don't even look or sound like him."_** The demon paused before continuing. **_"But at the same time ... I ... can't help but like the idea of being him. That's why I cling onto those cutouts, why I watch his cartoons over and over again. They're the only things in this studio that give me comfort, a purpose, and make me feel like I'm more than just..."_** He struggled to get the word out of his throat. His head hung low as he spoke once more. **_"... a monster."_**

Jordy was speechless. She never knew how much pain Bendy had been in for so long. She wished she had been more sympathetic about his behavior back then. Now she was willing to do whatever it took to comfort the demon.

Jordy placed a hand on his cheek. "Bendy, listen to me," she said firmly. "You're not a failure. And you're no monster either. If you were, then you wouldn't have chosen to warn me about Joey or helped me to get out of here. You're so much more than you think."

Bendy was confused by Jordy's pep talk. **_"I don't understand your point, kid,"_** he bluntly stated as he removed her hand from his face.

"My point is, it doesn't matter if you're not the real deal. Be whoever you want to be. If you want to be Bendy, then that's fine. But know that no matter what anyone else says, you're still a good person who's willing to help others in need...including me and Boris." Jordy paused as her lips formed a smile. "And if it helps you feel any better, you're still Bendy to me. And I like you just the way you are."

Now it was Bendy's turn to be speechless. No one had ever said such encouraging words to him as Jordy did. All his life, the only thing he knew was hatred. But just hearing her say this to him of all people made him feel touched. **_"That's...honestly the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. I don't deserve it, but..."_** He smiled back at her. **_"Thank you, Jordy."_**

Jordy's eyes lit up in response. "That's the first time you said my name."

**_"I figured it was time."_**

Jordy let out a chuckle. "So, are you feeling better now?"

Bendy nodded. ** _"Yeah, I think so."_**

"You wanna hug it out just to be sure?" Jordy asked, holding her arms out to Bendy.

**_"Eh, I'm good,"_** Bendy kindly dismissed. ** _"Not really a hug kind of demon, y'know?"_**

Jordy put her arms down. "That's fair. Let's go." She walked inside the elevator, scooting over to make room for Bendy.

As the door closed, the demon let out another sigh. **_"Man...I still can't believe I went off my rocker like that,"_** he said with regret. ** _"How embarrassing."_**

"Oh stop," Jordy responded. "You're fine. And besides, it's not like anyone was watching us, am I right?"

The moment Jordy said those words, the demon paused. Turning his head behind him, he caught sight of an old surveillance camera aimed directly at them. He squinted, having a sinking feeling inside his gut that it was still operational. 

**_"Yeah, sure,"_** Bendy replied brusquely before twisting his head away and letting the elevator descend into the abyss below.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alice stood in front of a security monitor, observing the Ink Demon and his new friend as they traversed through the studio. She had seen everything, from the moment they stepped inside her lair to when they last went into the elevator. She even witnessed all that happened when the demon went insane over his cutouts and tried to steal them from Jordy. The angel chuckled at his expense.

**_“Well, that certainly was amusing, wasn’t it?”_** she said both to herself and Boris.

The wolf was awake once again but still incarcerated to his table. He had a scowl on his face.

**_“Oh, come now, Boris,"_** Alice said innocently. ** _"Don’t look at me like that. You can’t still be mad at me for knocking you out."_** Her frown deepened as her voice grew more bitter. ** _"You did try to bite my hand off after all.”_**

“You won’t get away with this,” Boris spoke. “Jordy will find the last items and she will come back for me and free me. And when she does, the Ink Demon will stop you.”

**_“Oh, you think so?”_** Alice giggled once more. **_“Well, we’ll just have to see how far those two can go…”_ **She turned back to the monitors, squinting her eyes at a new location from down below. **_“...and if they can get past HIM.”_**


	15. Ink-Pumping Heart Attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so my friend and I did decide to continue this story together after all. However, we're only doing it in spurts to save up time and not drain ourselves.

The elevator reached down to Level 14, the last location to collect the items on Alice's list. Then the duo could finally free Boris.

Jordy stepped out onto the wooden balcony and observed the place. The entire section was flooded with ink and there appeared to be a tunnel in the distance.

"Dear God, there's so much ink everywhere," she muttered as she stepped into the viscous black liquid. She then picked up the ink's scent and immediately plugged her nose. "Ugh, and it reeks. I swear I'm gonna get high if I keep smelling this stuff."

**_"Well then don't smell it,"_ ** Bendy said sarcastically, as he followed her down the stairs. **_"Still, I'm surprised there's so much of the stuff down here. I'm guessing it means we're closer to that giant hunk of junk Joey keeps in the studio."_ **

"Hunk of junk?" Jordy questioned, not knowing what Bendy meant. Then she noticed a bright light flashing from one of the tunnel's ends. She quickly hid behind one of the poles to see what it was. Trudging through the ink was a tall figure about the same height as Bendy. But unlike the demon, he had a projector for a head and cables embedded into his body.

"Oh my God, what is that?" Jordy whispered.

**_"The Projectionist..."_ ** Bendy replied softly. **_"I had a feeling this one was going to be too easy ... what's the next thing on our list?"_ **

"Uh..." Jordy took the list out of her pocket and unfolded it. Her eyes slowly traced over the words Alice wrote. "Collect 5...ink hearts?" Her face turned pale. "...Wait, does she mean literal hearts or figurative? Because if it’s the former, I think I’m gonna be sick."

**_"Eh, it ain't that bad. They're just heart-shaped blobs,"_ ** Bendy said nonchalantly. **_"Projector Head there might be an issue though..."_ **

Jordy tried to shake off her queasiness and ignore Bendy’s apathetic comment. "Then it'd be wise to avoid him as best as we can," she replied, looking down at her watch. "We only have less than 10 minutes left to get those hearts before Alice breaks our deal." She clutched her backpack tight around her shoulder before moving forward into the tunnel. She made sure her footsteps were careful, even though the sounds of the ink splashing against her feet were audible.

Bendy quietly followed behind her, keeping an eye around for the Projectionist as she proceeded.

As they both traveled into the dark-lit tunnel, Jordy carefully searched for every single heart that she could find. When she picked the first one up in her hand, a chill ran down her spine. Its flesh was soft, yet cold and pulsating. She didn't like this at all.

"Eww, this is so gross! I can't even look at it!" Jordy complained, passing the heart to Bendy. "Here, you take it."

Bendy shrugged as he took the heart from her hand and put it in her backpack. **_"Okay, now you just gotta find four more of those squishy little things."_ **

"Don't ever say 'squishy' again," Jordy shivered. The task was pretty grueling, unlike the ones she did previously. But she made it this far, so it was best to keep the pace going. Carefully, she picked up the remaining hearts from their scattered sections. All while making sure the Projectionist wasn't around.

As she retrieved the last heart, Jordy did notice a light heading toward her and Bendy. Quickly, she ran for one of the Miracle Stations in the darker corner near her and hid inside.

Meanwhile, Bendy hid in one of his ink portals as soon as the Projectionist came by. Waiting for him to leave, Bendy emerged from his portal, and then gently tapped his knuckle against the Miracle Station. **_"You good in there, kid?"_**

The girl peered through the station's window to see the Projectionist turning to the farthest corner, not even noticing their camouflage. She let out a sigh of relief before opening the door. “Yeah, I think so. Let's go." She continued walking forward through the inky maze to try to find the exit. 

But as she was making the way out, her nose began to twitch. "U-uh oh."

Bendy noticed something was wrong. **_"What's up, kid?"_ **

"My allergies are picking up," Jordy replied, the itch in her nose increasing. "I-I think I forgot to take my Claritin this morning."

**_"Clara-what?"_ ** Bendy asked, but then forwent his question to focus on the matter at hand. **_"J-Just try to hold it in long enough for us to get to the elevator."_ **

"O-okay." Jordy pinched her nose tightly as she continued walking out of the tunnel with Bendy. She tried her best to calm down by breathing through her mouth quietly.

Bendy looked over his shoulder cautiously as they made it back outside. He didn't want to waste any more time with more distractions. It was bad enough that he had his nervous breakdown with the cutouts. Facing that monster would be a hassle.

The pressure in Jordy's nose seemed to have lessened. Feeling it was safe, she let out another relieving sigh and released her fingers from her nose.

But as they were heading for the balcony...

"ACHOO!!" Her sneeze was so loud that it echoed through the entire floor.

And it alarmed the Projectionist.

**_"OF COURSE it would happen,"_ ** Bendy said, very agitated. He decided to pick Jordy up in his arms and run off to the elevator, thinking they'd get to it quicker.

"Sorry!" Jordy apologized. Bendy's movement was brisk, but she managed to hold on as he ran.

Meanwhile, the Projectionist emerged from the tunnel and started chasing after them. He let out a demonic shriek that hurt Jordy's ears.

"He's gaining up on us!" she panicked.

**_"He won't catch you though,"_ ** Bendy said as he sprinted faster. Soon he got to the elevator and placed Jordy in it, but then closed the door between them.

Jordy realized what Bendy said just before he sealed her inside the elevator. "B-Bendy, wait!” she exclaimed, clutching the bars. “What are you doing?"

**_"Making sure that freak doesn't get you or those hearts. Head up to the Angel, NOW."_ **

"No, I'm not leaving without you!"

Just then, the Projectionist made his way up to the balcony. He screeched once he saw the Ink Demon and was prepared to fight him.

Jordy flinched, but then let out a frustrated groan and gave in to Bendy's demand. "You'd better come back alive when you're done with him!" she said before pushing the button for Level 9.

Bendy didn't respond, merely putting his hands out, ready to attack the Projectionist once it reached him.

As the elevator ascended, the Projectionist charged forward and delivered a hard blow to Bendy's jaw with his fist. Then he grabbed the bars to the elevator and tried to pry them open.

Bendy recoiled a bit from the punch, but he grabbed the Projectionist’s body away from the doors. Then he responded by landing a strong forward punch to the monster’s lens. He was determined to make sure the Projectionist wouldn't follow Jordy. Someone he never figured he would grow that close to, let alone protect.

Jordy could hear the sounds of the fight going on as she rose to Level 9. She hoped Bendy was winning. Though he told her not to worry about him, she couldn't help herself. He had done nothing but stay by her side and save her life ever since she came into the studio. It was more than she could ever repay.

Though the blow was strong, the Projectionist wasn't finished yet. He lunged forward and wrapped his hands around the demon's neck.

Bendy grabbed onto the hands that were choking him. And using his amazing strength, he not only pried the Projectionist's hands off his neck but then proceeded to use his thumbs to press hard against the Projectionist's hands and break them off their sockets.

The Projectionist screamed as Bendy ripped his hands off his wrists. It was excruciating. He succumbed to the pain by falling to his knees, whining as he held his amputated appendages close to his chest.

  
As the Projectionist writhed in agony, Bendy leaned down to him. **_"Consider that a warning, freak. Hurt the girl, and I might pull out something bigger..."_ ** He then disappeared into an ink portal and reemerged near where Jordy was.


	16. Sabotage

Back on Level 9, Jordy had just gone off the elevator and slowly walked down the stairs. She could feel the heaviness of the ink that soaked her pants and shoes. It was going to be hard to get this stuff off. 

Once she reached the last step, she stopped and turned toward the elevator. She couldn’t help but wonder if Bendy was alright. Though it had only been a mere minute since he dropped her off, she was very hesitant to continue without him. She was afraid that something might've happened to him. Or worse…

But time was almost up and she still needed to deliver everything to Alice. Boris was more important right now. Letting out a sigh, she turned back around and continued her way to the angel’s door.

Then Jordy caught sight of the Ink Demon appearing through his portal to her left. She was overwhelmed with joy. He was alive. He was okay. Impulsively, she ran to him and threw her arms around him, crying into his chest.

Bendy was surprised by this sudden show of affection. He wasn't sure how to respond to it but didn't want his ego to take a dent. **_"Hey, hey, ease off kid,"_ ** he said as he gently pushed Jordy off. **_"I thought you didn't want my ink all over you."_**

"I don't care!" Jordy cried hysterically. "I was worried about you! And I'm sorry if me crying over you is stupid, but I don't give a shit of what you say! You're my friend! I care about you! And I'm just glad you're here!" She punched his skeletal torso three times after those last sentences, not caring that her fist was sore or covered in ink. She then bowed her head and continued sobbing, removing her glasses and trying to wipe her tears with her free sleeve.

Bendy took a moment to observe how emotional Jordy was being over his potential death. As she sobbed, he let out a dejected sigh and pulled out a hand to pat her shoulder. **_"It's okay, kid. I'm ... I'm sorry I scared you..."_ **

Jordy sniffled as she looked back up to Bendy. She didn't want to keep crying like this for too long but was at least glad he was acknowledging her emotions. "Thank you..." she said, drying her face again before putting her glasses back on taking a deep breath. "I’m fine now. Let's go save Boris."

**_"Right. Lead the way,"_** he replied as he let Jordy go ahead of him.

Jordy nodded, clutching the backpack strap with one hand as she resumed her walk. As soon as they reached Alice's door, Jordy looked up to the angel’s sign and sighed. "Well, Alice, I did what you asked me to. I even managed to come back in time and do it all without Bendy’s help."

There was a moment of silence.

"So...if you could let me in so I can give you your stuff and take Boris back, that'd be great."

More awkward silence greeted them.

It was starting to make Jordy feel uneasy. "...Alice? Can you hear me? Hello?"

Bendy then began pounding on the door. **_"HEY! Do you hear her, ya ugly whore?! We got your stupid little trinkets! So give us back the mutt!"_ **

While both of them kept their focus on Alice's door, a huge puddle formed behind them, revealing a Searcher that was much larger and monstrous compared to the ones they faced before. It slowly crawled up to them, reaching its arms out to grab them.

But before it could, Jordy heard the sound of the creature's whispered groans and gasped. "Bendy, look out!" she yelled as she moved out of the way.

Without looking away, Bendy thrust a fist forward through the giant Searcher's head. He then pulled it back, leaving behind a massive hole. **_"Jordy ... hide. Now."_ **

"O-okay!" Jordy stammered before running to find the closest Miracle Station.

**_"I don't think so,"_ ** Alice finally spoke through the intercom. 

A hand reached out from an ink puddle, grabbing Jordy by the ankle. She struggled to break free, but the hand’s grip was strong.

**_"Did you think I would let you leave, knowing the Ink Demon helped you escape from the Projectionist?!"_ ** the Angel hissed, angrily. **_"Sorry, but the deal's off. Boris is staying. And so are you."_ **

Another hand latched onto Jordy’s ponytail, attempting to drag her into the inky abyss below. “OWW!! STOP IT!!” she screamed in pain as she tried to pull her hair back. “LET GO OF ME!!”

Bendy rushed forward after hearing Jordy's cry and slammed his foot onto the hand that had her hair, squishing it in half. Once her foot was free, she turned around, grabbed her ax from her backpack, and chopped off the hand that grabbed her ankle. 

**_"Go, kid, go!"_** Bendy encouraged.

Jordy nodded, thanking Bendy for helping her before she retreated. Since there was no Miracle Station or at least one that wasn't ripped open, she went for the next best thing, the elevator. Though there were more Searchers that blocked her path, she confidently swung her ax at them and slashed them one-by-one.

Meanwhile, the giant Searcher’s face had fully healed from Bendy’s impact. Then it managed to catch up to the Ink Demon and grabbed him with its massive hands, keeping its death grip on him.

**_“What a fool you are, Ink Demon!”_ ** Alice taunted. **_“Befriending this girl, thinking you two could best me at my own game! HA!! Admit it, I won! And you can’t stop what needs to be done!”_ **

Bendy gripped onto the Searcher's hands, trying to pry him off his neck. **_"You're ... not ... sneaking ... your way ... out of this ... you ..."_ **He ripped the arms off the Searcher and used them to slam into the Searcher's sides. Then he turned to Alice's door and used one of his portals to phase through it. **_"WITCH!!"_ **he screamed, immediately proceeding to go towards Alice.

Witnessing the Ink Demon's wrath from the monitors, Alice quickly grabbed Boris and made a run for the escape tunnel hidden in her lab. Panic rose, fearing what he would do to her when he caught up to her. She couldn't let him, not when she’s so close to perfection.

Meanwhile, Bendy sprinted forward, trying to catch up to Alice. He wasn’t going to let her get away with Boris. Even if the two of them weren’t the best of friends, he was going to live up to his agreement with Jordy and save him.

Eventually, Alice found an escape hatch and tried to shove Boris inside. **_“Come on, come on!”_ **she mumbled as she struggled to make the wolf fit.

But just as her attempt succeeded, Bendy caught her and grabbed her arm from behind.

Alice screamed as she felt his grip on her. _No, no, this wasn’t supposed to happen!_ she thought as she tried to pull her arm away. **_“Let go of me, Ink Demon!”_ **

Bendy pulled her closer. **_"Not until you live up to your end of the bargain and give us Boris..."_ ** He tightened his grip on her arm. **_"Or else I'll make sure both sides look banged up."_ **

Alice trembled in fear as Bendy got closer to her. She couldn’t give up Boris. She needed to find a way out. **_”I-if you lay another hand on me...”_ ** she said weakly, **_“...then my Searchers will kill your friend.”_ **

Bendy then stopped himself, realizing he forgot about Jordy. After a pause, he used a free hand to grab a nearby belt and tied Alice tightly to a support beam. **_"Stick around ... or else..."_ ** He then ran off to try and help Jordy.

Alice watched as Bendy ran from her sight. A wicked grin formed on her face, knowing that the Ink Demon had fallen for her trap, let alone ignored the fact that he left Boris behind, too. She managed to reach her hand to the skirt of her dress, where she kept an emergency remote that controlled the elevator. Without a moment of hesitation, she pressed it.


	17. Hold On For Dear Life

Meanwhile, Jordy had finished fighting off those Searchers and went inside the elevator. Pressing the button for the top floor, it slowly ascended. But as soon as she reached between Levels P and K, the elevator completely stopped. “W-what the hell?!” Jordy exclaimed, frantically pressing the button again.

Bendy rushed to the elevator, realizing that Jordy had already boarded it. He then summoned an ink portal to take him to the next few floors up. Afterward, he stood out on the ledge and called out. **_"Kid! Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!"_ **

Jordy looked up as she heard the demon’s voice echo through the shaft. “Bendy! Oh, thank God!” She sighed with relief. “Please, be careful!”

Bendy slowly shimmied down the line and landed onto the elevator's top. Then he drew a rectangle with his ink and pried a hole into the roof. He reached out to Jordy. **_"C'mon kid, ain't no telling what that witch has planned next..."_ **

Jordy quickly put her ax away and stood on her tiptoes as she extended her hand to his. It was hard considering her short height, but she stretched as much as she could to try to get her fingers to touch his.

What they both didn’t notice, though, was that a small Searcher was above them, latching onto the line of the elevator. It snickered as its hand formed into a pair of giant scissors. With one cut, the line snapped.

Bendy's horns perked up at the sound, realizing too late what had happened and gripped onto the edge of the roof’s hole as the elevator started to plummet downwards.

Jordy screamed and felt her body shake with the elevator’s movement. She leaned back against the wall, scared for her life.

Thinking quickly, Bendy grabbed the rope of the elevator in one hand and sliced his free hand into the wall, trying to slow down and halt the falling elevator. He kept fighting back the searing pain in his arms, focusing on making sure Jordy didn't fall.

Jordy yelped as the elevator suddenly stopped and shook side to side. Then she looked up and saw Bendy hanging onto the elevator’s line for dear life. “Ben!” she called out, trying to climb out of the roof. “Please, hang on! I’m coming!”

**_"Yeah, because I was TOTALLY considering letting you go RIGHT after I committed myself to NOT letting you go!"_ ** Bendy snapped back, trying to use sarcasm to mask the immense physical strain he was experiencing.

“You don’t have to snap at me, you know,” Jordy replied with slight annoyance.

As she was using all of her strength to make it out of the elevator, a drop of ink fell onto her hand and slithered its way up her sleeve. Once it reached her forearm, the dot formed into the small Searcher that had cut the line earlier. Then it snickered once more and opened its sharp mouth to bite into her skin.

“OWW!!” Jordy screamed, impulsively letting go of the ledge, which made her lose balance and nearly slip back inside.

Bendy tried to muster up more strength to pull the elevator up a bit, trying to help Jordy maintain some balance. **_"You got this, kid! Just keep going!"_ **

The pain in Jordy's arm seethed like alcohol being applied to a wound. She hated it, but she heeded Bendy’s words of encouragement and continued pulling up as best as she could.

Soon enough, she was out, with her arm folded over her inner elbow. “Now what?” she asked.

**_"Get up onto my shoulders and hold tight!"_ ** he commanded. **_"Then I'm gonna let go of this devildamn elevator!"_ **

“Okay.” Jordy quickly moved behind Bendy and reached her arms up to grab onto his shoulders. She made sure they were firmly wrapped above his neck while her legs gripped onto his waist. “I’m on!”

**_"Okay good..."_ ** He then let go of the elevator cable, leaving it free to plummet down the abyss. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he then proceeded to climb back up the shaft. **_"You good, kid?"_ **

Jordy nodded. “Mmhmm. Thanks for saving me...again.” She chuckled. “Remind me to owe you a favor after this.”

**_"We'll worry about that after we get Boris back,"_ ** he replied as he continued up the shaft until he reached the floor he jumped out of.

“Alright, alright.” Jordy carefully climbed down from Bendy’s back once they were on solid ground. The ink had covered her entire front, but she didn’t care. Stained clothes were better than bathing in one's blood. “So, with the elevator down, I’m guessing we’ll be taking some stairs instead?”

**_"Most likely,"_ ** Bendy replied. He then walked forward in the hall. **_"Well, better stop stalling and carry out."_ **

“Right,” Jordy nodded, following Bendy from behind. She wondered if Boris was doing alright in the angel’s clutches if he would be in one piece by the time they reach him.

As she was lost in thought, a buzzing sound rang through her ears. It wasn’t a good one, as it made her head spin and her vision go blurry. “B-Ben...stop. I-I don’t feel so...” She suddenly dropped to the floor on her hands and knees.

**_"Hey!"_ ** Bendy turned around and grabbed Jordy as she dropped. **_"What's wrong?"_ **

Jordy felt herself shivering as she struggled to get up. Her body temperature was rising and her face flushed red. "M-my head...my arm..." she spoke weakly, holding her black-stained sleeve. "It burns..."

Bendy took a moment to inspect her arm. **_"Your arm? What happened to it?"_ **

"S-something bit me...I-I dunno what--" Jordy proceeded to unzip her jacket to see what had happened. What she thought was a mere bug bite or sting turned out to be a gauge caused by the Searcher that bit her. Her blood trickled down from her arm to the ground. Worst of all, some ink was left behind on the bite mark.

Bendy gently but quickly put her down and took her backpack, rummaging through its contents for anything that could help the wound. ** _"Tell me you packed some kind of first aid..."_** he muttered as he searched.

"N-no..." Jordy replied, toppling over to the ground. She was having a hard time keeping herself together and her breathing grew shallow.

Frustrated, Bendy chucked the backpack at the wall and then picked Jordy back up. **_"Keep fighting back, kid ... I'll get you fixed..."_ ** He ran down the hallway, quickly peering into every doorway he passed to find a room with a first aid kit.

"T-trying..." Jordy said, feeling light-headed.

While Jordy was struggling to keep consciousness, bright flashes appeared before her that hurt her head even more. Visions of the studio, of the monsters that lurked inside, and even of Alice with a giant needle in her hand about to conduct an experiment on something--or someone--flooded her brain.

Soon, Bendy found the door he was looking for and ran into it, placing Jordy onto a table as he grabbed the kit from the shelf and opened it. He quickly took what he could and tried to nurse her wound to the best of his abilities. He wasn't sure what to do, but he didn't have time to stop and ponder. He had a life to save.

After he finished wrapping up Jordy's wound, he placed his hand on her shoulder. **_"Just keep trying, Jordy..."_** he pleaded. ** _"Just, please ... keep trying..."_**

Jordy tried to hear what Bendy was saying, but his words were drowning. So were the visions in her head. The last one she saw was of Bendy grinning menacingly at her. As he reached his hand over her face, her eyes began to close and her mind succumbed to the darkness.

**_"Jordy? ... Jordy?!"_ ** Bendy gently shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her awake. But nothing happened. She was lost in deep slumber.

Bendy slowly removed his hand, shaking his head in denial. Then he simply sat down on the floor next to the table, burying his head in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry! I'm not dead--or am I?


	18. Heart-to-Heart

Time had slipped on by. By how much was unknown, but Jordy could feel herself being surrounded by a black void. It was bizarre, nothing like limbo, but rather...some sort of tunnel. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to see what was at the end of it. Her feet made sloshing noises as she walked. What was she walking in? Water? Ink? She didn't bother to question it further as she continued traversing.

Soon enough, she was able to find it. The light at the very end was calling to her, reaching out to her like a friend. As she stepped closer to it, she could hear voices echoing through the liquid walls. She didn't know who they belonged to, nor cared. She just needed to keep going. The voices grew louder, which did irritate her a little bit, but that didn't stop her. 

As soon as she reached the light, she outstretched her hand.

It vanished.

* * *

Jordy slowly opened her eyes, finding herself on a table in an unfamiliar part of the studio. She gently sat up and looked around, until she noticed the Ink Demon curled up on the floor next to her. "...Bendy?"

Bendy had long fallen asleep while Jordy was out. Upon hearing her call to him, he groggily woke from his slumber and let out a low yawn. He turned to see Jordy awake. **_"Heh ... morning, squirt..."_ **

Jordy blinked as she echoed Bendy's yawn. She then took off her glasses and rubbed her eye. "What happened? How long was I out?"

Bendy rubbed the center of his forehead as he stood up. **_"Lost track, honestly. One of the Searchers took a bite out of you, and I tried to patch you up."_ **

"Oh yeah..." Jordy replied, the memories coming back to her. She put her glasses back on and looked over at her arm to see that it was still patched up and stained in red. Yet the excruciating sting she felt before was gone. "I forgot that even happened." She turned back to Bendy. "Were you ... worried about me?"

Bendy covered up his mouth, visibly embarrassed. He turned his head away. **_"...Maybe..."_ **he mumbled before taking his hand down to rub his arm.

"Aww..." Jordy said, feeling touched. She sat up on her knees and reached over to put her hand on Bendy's shoulder. "Ben, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think it's sweet that you care about me. In fact ... it kind of puts a weight off my shoulders because a part of me thought I was just slowing you down..." She took her hand away and shifted her gaze, trying to hide her sad expression. "That I was being a burden."

Bendy noticed the sad look on Jordy's face. After a pause, he gently grabbed her hand. **_"Well, you ARE the only person I know who's been kind to me ..._** ** _why would I think you were a burden?"_**

Jordy paused, feeling nervous. "I ... I don't know. I guess ... it's just something I feel when my anxiety gets the better of me." She squeezed his hand for comfort. "That and the fact I didn't listen to you when you told me to leave."

**_"Look, we can worry about feeling sorry for ourselves later._** ** _Right now, we gotta save Boris."_** Bendy let go of Jordy's hand as he walked towards the door. **_"You think you can walk on your own?"_ **

Jordy blanked out for a moment, lost in deep thought. "Uh, y-yeah," she said, grabbing her purse as she shimmied herself off the table and caught up to Bendy. Though she didn’t leave the room just yet, for something was on her mind. "But before I drop it for good...you didn't answer my question from yesterday."

**_"Huh? What question?"_ ** Bendy asked, unsure of what she was referring to.

Jordy breathed calmly through her nose. "When we first met, why did you choose to warn me about Joey and spare me...instead of attack or kill me?"

**_"Oh ... that ..."_ ** Bendy rubbed the back of his neck, trying to muster up the right words to say to her. **_"I've just seen Joey mess up a lot of people ... well, some I've seen, others I've only heard about. And he kept putting me through his own personal hell ... I just didn't want you to go through the same thing all those poor schmucks did..."_ **

Jordy's gaze never left Bendy's face when he gave his explanation. She took in every word that he said and listened instead of turning away. When he was finished, she asked, "You're not like all the others, are you?"

**_"...Others?"_ ** He repeated, not sure of what she meant.

"You know, the other ink creatures we saw," Jordy clarified. "Each one of them had either cruel intentions or were animalistic. Like Sammy, for example. He worshipped you like a god so much that he kidnapped me and tried to sacrifice me to you. And Alice...well, we already know she's a narcissistic bitch." She chuckled. "But you...despite what Joey put you through, you still have a good heart, even if you don't always show it."

**_"...Heh...I guess I'm a bit closer to the old cartoon scamp than Joey wants to admit..."_ ** Bendy chuckled. **_"Still ... thanks, kid. It means a lot..."_ **

"You're welcome. That's what friends are for." Jordy decided to extend her hand to him once more, this time asking him for consent. "May I?"

Bendy looked down at Jordy's hand, contemplating on whether or not he should take it. After a moment, he decided to open his arms out, granting her permission to embrace him.

Jordy was surprised. She didn't think Bendy would allow her to hug him, even after he told her he wasn't into it. But after giving her permission, she gently wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you."

**_"You ... you're welcome..."_ ** Bendy slowly but surely returned the embrace, not squeezing too hard. Both out of fear for squishing Jordy, and not being too accustomed to displaying outward affection. He then pulled himself away from her. **_"Now, let's find that bitch and save our Boris."_ **

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Jordy replied. As soon as Bendy was ready, she opened the door and the two of them stepped outside, closing it behind them.


	19. Ask Blog is Now Open! (Intermission)

<https://beyond-the-ebony-depths.tumblr.com/post/617761019831386112/promotional-poster-for-beyond-the-ebony-depths>

My ask blog is now fully constructed and ready for people to submit questions. You are more than welcome to ask whatever you like about the story or the characters. Just make sure you read the rules before doing so. Thank you!


	20. Agonizing Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! First, I want to thank you all so much for the support of this story thus far! I'm glad you guys have been enjoying it as well as the ask blog.
> 
> Now, before we begin this chapter, I just want to disclaim that the Chapter 4 section of this story is going to have a number of cuts and creative liberties for the sake of pacing and fluidity. Even so, I hope you enjoy what my friend and I have to offer!

The two traversed through the hallway until they came back to where they started. The backpack that Bendy chucked against the wall was gone. All that remained were black-stained footprints that led to the stairway. Jordy followed them, noticing them continuing down the stairs.

"So it looks like Alice went underground," she said. "What's the lowest floor in this place?"

**_"I wouldn't know,"_ ** Bendy replied. **_"Joey usually likes to keep the lower floors a secret from everyone in the studio. Some people say that's where he was working on a real passion project."_ **

"Guess we'll be discovering said project along the way." Jordy unzipped her purse and took out the pipe Bendy gave her. "At least I'm still armed. I'm sure we'll be running into more of those Searchers, so we'd better be on guard."

Bendy led the way down the stairs, ready to protect Jordy from whatever would greet them at the bottom. **_"Watch yer footing, kid,"_ ** he said.

"Yes sir," Jordy replied, staying right behind the Ink Demon. The room was dark, but not enough to blind them. She grabbed onto the railing for extra measure, just in case she tripped or slipped on any of the puddles that laid around. "By the way, you said you weren't sure how long I was out, right?"

**_"Yeah,"_ ** Bendy said, keeping his concentration forward. **_"All I was really focused on was making sure you were alright..."_ ** Soon they approached the base of the steps. **_"Hopefully it didn't give Alice enough time to get too far ahead."_ **

"I hope not either..." Jordy said, feeling somewhat guilty about what happened. She wanted Boris to still be okay, that there was still time to save him.

Once the two reached the bottom of the stairs, Jordy walked over and noticed a broken elevator on one side of the room. It was shattered into pieces and caught on fire.

"Oh geez...so glad I didn't fall in that," she commented with a shiver.

**_"Heh, yeah. I'd be surprised if anyone could survive that,"_ ** Bendy said nonchalantly as they proceeded forward.

"Mmhmm," Jordy mumbled, turning away from the elevator. She looked around the room as she and Bendy kept going. The sign read 'Level S.' She honestly thought all these floor names were a bit obscure and out of order, but those were the least of her problems. She kept a firm grip on her pipe as she continued to follow Bendy. Her anxiety began building up as the ambiance of the haunted studio did.

There was an intersection that led to two different paths. One that said 'Account and Financing' while the other said 'Archives.' "Which way do we go?" Jordy asked.

Bendy shrugged. **_"I guess we go to the Archives?"_ **

"Sounds legit." Jordy peered to the left until she came across a vault with a door. She proceeded to turn the handle, using all her strength to get it to rotate until the door swung open. She stood back and gestured her hands to the other side. "Ink Demons first."

Bendy walked through the vault and then stumbled across a room with a stage. On it was a group of ink-covered mannequins. **_"Well ... that's ... a thing,"_ ** he said, not quite sure about how to react to them.

Jordy took notice of said mannequins and the way they were positioned. They were dramatic and melancholy. It reminded her of back when she used to do theatre in high school and college. She then saw the words 'HE WILL SET US FREE' written in ink in the background. She was curious about what it meant.

Bendy noticed her attention was towards the wall with the written message on it. He then saw the message himself. **_"He who? ... Are they talking about me?"_ **

"I'm not sure," Jordy replied. Though deep down, a part of her thought it made sense. Since Alice called him the 'Ink Demon' and he was modeled after the main character of the show. It would also explain why some of the ink creatures were afraid of him or why that Sammy person who kidnapped her called him his 'Lord.' 

She eventually decided to shrug it off. "Well, in any case, we'd better get going."

**_"Uh--yeah, yeah,"_ ** Bendy said upon snapping his focus back onto the matter at hand. He then turned his attention to the shelves around the room. **_"I guess this is some kind of library?"_ **

"Looks like it, judging from all the books," Jordy said. She honestly never thought an animation studio would have something like this. A storage closet, maybe, but not a library. She wondered what more they were going to see as they kept journeying beyond the ebony depths. "Now, how to get out of here is the question," she pondered as she looked around to find an exit or a secret passageway.

As Jordy looked around for some kind of exit, Bendy noticed one of the books was poking out from the shelf. For no real reason, he decided to push the book back into its place. But as the book moved, he heard an odd clicking sound which surprised him a bit. He took a second to ponder something, then he came up with an idea. **_"Hey, kid. If you see any books poking out, try pushing them back in."_ **

Jordy turned her attention to Bendy before noticing another book poking out beside her. She pushed it in with her left hand and heard the clicking sound herself. "Oh! Neat!" She then went around to find more loose books.

**_"I'm thinking something might happen if we push all of the loose books in,"_ ** Bendy shouted before he found the third book and pushed it back in.

However, the second the book gave off its small click sound, Bendy was then hit with a sudden but quick flash of light. Once the light faded, the room he was in was painted with a hellish red color and the quiet ambiance was filled with some kind of mysterious but haunting sound. Bendy instinctively covered the parts of his head where he would have ears as he fell to his knees. For some reason, these visions gave him a massive spike of anxiety. However, as quickly as the vision arrived to haunt the deformed cartoon, it disappeared just as quickly. The room then became restored to what it was previously.

Jordy noticed Bendy's sudden jolt and ran over to him. "Ben? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Bendy then regained his composure, standing straight up as one of his hands shifted over to rub his forehead. **_"Y-Yeah ... yeah, I'm ... fine."_ ** He then pulled his hand away to look at it. **_"That was ... weird..."_ **

"What was weird? What did you—" Jordy cut herself off as she peered over Bendy's side to the now-empty stage. Her eyes went wide with horror. "Ben...the mannequins are gone."

Bendy turned his attention to the empty stage and stepped forward to examine it. **_"That's odd. There wasn't anyone here but us, so no one could have taken them ... unless they walked off on their own..."_ **

Jordy dreaded the latter thought. "We should probably get out of here then," she said, running back over to the shelf to push in the fourth book.

As it clicked into place, a passageway opened up revealed a new part of the studio to explore.

**_"Heh, figured there was a hidden door somewhere. Nice job, kid,"_ ** Bendy said as he proceeded forward.

"Thanks," Jordy replied as she followed Bendy through the door.

On the other side was a cavern that had a deep hole underground. Jordy did her best not to look down as she and Bendy crossed the boardwalk.

At one point, she caught a glimpse of one of the Bendy cutouts stuck in the stone wall. "Aww, look, Ben! It's your baby."

**_"Huh?"_ ** Bendy turned to look at the cutout. **_"Oh, yeah, cute,"_ ** He responded nonchalantly.

He then proceeded until he came across an odd machine. It didn't look like any of the equipment he had seen before in the studio. Yet it still felt ... familiar, oddly enough. **_"What the heck is this thing?"_** he asked.

Jordy couldn't help but snicker at her joke despite Bendy brushing it off. Then she turned her attention to the machine that the demon was referring to. "Huh...I'm not sure," she replied. She took a moment to examine the parts. "Maybe some sort of printer?"

**_"A printer?"_ ** Bendy asked, looking around the contraption. **_"Doesn't look like the kinds Joey had in the animation rooms upstairs..."_ **

"Hmm..." Jordy knelt to get a closer look at the printer. There appeared to be some sort of slot. She wasn't sure what it was for. Then she examined a switch with an icon of a cup on it. Curious, she turned the wheel to study each symbol. There was a gear, a pipe, a radio, a dog bone, and a plunger. Once she got back to the cup and looked back at the slot, an idea popped into Jordy's head. 

"Hey, I wanna try something," she said to Bendy, holding out her hand. "Do you have any ink I could borrow?"

Bendy was a bit shocked by her sudden request. **_"Wha...why do you wanna borrow any of my ink?"_ ** he said, covering up the bare inky remains of a chest that he had.

"Because I think this printer needs ink to get it to print and I wanna see if it works." She kept her hand held up and gave him a desperate look. "Please, Ben?"

After a moment of hesitation, Bendy let out a sigh. **_"Fine."_ ** He reached into the side of his body and pulled out a small chunk of his ink to hand to Jordy.

"Thank you!" Jordy carefully took the ink and placed it inside the slot. Then she got up from the ground to go around the print and turn the crank to insert it. The machine shook up and down and a bubbling sound came from within. Jordy stood back as a precaution.

The printer immediately dinged and out came a fully formed cup. Jordy blinked before stepping forward and lifting the mug from the handle. It felt so real, like genuine porcelain.

"Oh my God..." A smile crept up her face in joy. "This is the coolest thing ever!"

**_"Heh, it's something alright,"_ ** Bendy said, leaning forward to observe the cup for himself. **_"Wonder when Joey had the time to cook up these?..."_ **

Jordy shrugged and set the mug down on a wooden crate. "But that's enough gawking for now. Let's keep going." She made her way over to a trolley that led to the other side of the chasm. She went to grab the switch to activate it, but it wouldn't budge. "Oh, come on! Why won't it work?"

Bendy grabbed the switch and effortlessly pulled it. **_"Maybe because you're not that strong?"_ ** he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Jordy growled at him. "Don't judge me because I'm small," she mumbled with her arms crossed.

Soon the trolley made its way over to their side and Jordy stepped on first. Since there were no safety belts or seats, she held onto the support ropes for stability.

Bendy then followed her into the trolley and closed the door behind him. **_"So ... does it go on its own or do we push a button?"_ **

The moment Bendy asked that question, the trolley started to move, slowly traveling them over to the other side.

"Well, how's that for an answer for you?" Jordy teased with a giggle.

**_"Ah, shush you,"_ ** Bendy replied, as they rode the trolley through its course.

As they approached the halfway point, the trolley began to falter a bit, as if it was about to break down.

**_"Are you kidding me?!"_ ** Bendy said out of frustration, not wanting to go through a repeat of what happened to the elevator.

But after a moment, the trolley returned to balance as it headed to the end.

Jordy nearly fell once the trolley came to a sudden stop, but managed to grab onto the ropes to stop herself. She looked down for a brief moment to see how deep the chasm was before she shot herself back up. "Whew, that was close," she sighed with relief as the trolley resumed its course.

Within seconds, the two reached their destination and got off.

Bendy followed Jordy as they exited the trolley. **_"What was the point of that?"_ ** he complained out loud. **_"If they wanted to drop us down that chasm, why not do it?"_ **

"I think they were trying to scare us," Jordy replied with a glare. "I wouldn't be surprised, given what Alice tried to pull on us before."

**_"Bleh, I'd like to dangle her above that chasm, show her what it's like,"_ ** Bendy said under his breath, continuing to follow Jordy.

"You'll get to, don't worry," Jordy said, patting Bendy on his arm. She then approached a metal door that opened up with little to no effort, leading to a tunnel with a railroad track. Jordy proceeded to walk in, pressing her right hand against the wooden frames.

But once she did so, a flash of white light blinded her and the same haunting screech Bendy heard before filled her ears. When her vision became clear, an inky hand reached out to grab her, causing her to scream and back away. Then two more reached out from behind and she ran back to Bendy, hiding behind him.

Bendy looked forward, not sure what exactly she was afraid of. He saw the hallway looking fairly normal. Well, about as normal as hallways in this ink-drenched nightmare could look.

**_"You okay, kid?"_ ** he asked as he put a hand on Jordy's shoulder.

"No!" Jordy said, covering her ears to try to make the sound go away. "Don't you see the hands?! They tried to grab me!" She could hear the ink creatures wailing and moaning for them to be let out. It was all too much for her and her anxiety was reaching its peak. She fell on her knees and screamed for them to stop.

Just then, the sound vanished and Jordy shot her head back up. The tunnel was back to normal. No more hands were reaching out. No more voices were calling to her. It was all just dead silence.

"...What the hell just happened?" Jordy asked, her voice shaking.

Bendy noticed that her behavior was quite familiar to him. It was that same anxiety and trauma he felt when he had his attack in the library. He tried to not let it get to him though, out of not showing weakness in front of her. **_"Dunno, but we ain't gonna find Alice and Boris if we keep dwelling on it,"_** he said.

He could see that Jordy was trembling, immobilized in fear. As much as he wanted her to snap out of it, he knew deep down that badgering her wouldn't help her. So instead, he leaned down and reached out his hand. **_"Look, would you feel better if you held my hand?"_** he asked gently.

Jordy looked up at Bendy when he offered her his hand. Her anxiety made her hesitant, but she knew she had to keep going. "S-sure..." she whimpered, slowly taking his hand into hers and standing up. She was trying her best not to have a nervous breakdown, but after what she saw, it was hard for her.

As soon as Jordy grabbed his hand, Bendy held onto it as they continued down the hall. It felt weird to him that _he_ was the one someone was relying on for comfort and security. He never thought he'd have anyone be that close to him after the years of neglect and manipulation Joey did to him. Well, that in conjecture with his beastly appearance. But he didn't want to say anything to risk making Jordy feel worse, so he kept leading her.

Jordy kept a firm grip on Bendy's hand as they walked. The warmth of his palm started to help ease her nerves, but she took slow, deep breaths to make sure she'd calm down sooner. Part of her wondered if he thought she was going crazy. Regardless, she was glad that he was there for her, even if he wasn't always empathetic.

"Thank you..." she whispered to the demon.

**_"Uh ... n-no problem,"_ ** he replied somewhat hesitantly.

Jordy couldn't help but smile when Bendy answered her. Even if it was hesitant, it still felt nice.

But soon that moment broke when a familiar voice echoed through the stone walls. **_"Aww. What a touching sight to see. True friendship at its finest. It's so cute it makes me sick."_ **

Jordy glared at the voice that mocked her and Bendy from above. "Alice."


	21. Don't You Even Care?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually went back to fix this chapter because I wasn't too happy with the flow of it. Should be all good to go now.

**_"Don't mind her, Jordy,"_ ** Bendy replied. **_"She's just jealous because no one would wanna be friends with a deformed hag like her. Heck, last I recall, Joey didn't even want anything to do with her."_**

Alice scoffed behind the microphone. Though she was appalled, Bendy's words weren't enough to anger her. **_"Chide at me all you want, Ink Demon. It won't save your friend any faster."_ **

The realization hit Jordy when Alice made that statement. "Boris...Where's Boris?!" she raised her voice desperately.

**_"Rest assured, my little errand girl. He's right here, still alive. However...he's having some trouble staying in one piece."_ ** Alice chuckled as she passed the microphone over to the strapped-down wolf.

"Please to be helping me!" Boris yelped out. "This woman is working on something _very_ questionable!"

"Boris!" Jordy shouted in a panicked fashion. "Don't worry, we're coming!" She immediately ran ahead up the stairs to go after the wolf.

**_"Whoa whoa!"_ ** Bendy called out, running after her. **_"Slow down there, kiddo!"_ **

Jordy didn't respond to Bendy's call. She just kept on running. She didn't know how long she was out for, but she feared if she didn't hurry, Alice would hurt Boris. And she didn't want to lose him.

As soon as she reached the stairs, she opened up a door to a room that was filled with humanoid ink creatures. They looked just like the mannequins that she and Bendy saw earlier in the library. Their glowing golden eyes went wide as they stared at her, their bodies frozen in terror.

Bendy finally caught up with her. **_"Hey! When I say 'slow down,' you might oughta..."_ ** He stopped himself once he saw the room and the several humanoid creatures inhabiting it. **_"Uh..."_ **

The ink creatures screamed at the sight of the Bendy. Dreading for their lives, they retreated for places to hide from him.

"W-wait!" Jordy said, approaching them with her hand out. "We're not here to hurt you! We just want--"

"No!" One of the ink figures shouted, backing away from her. "Go away! Don't take me back to the ink!"

Jordy reached out to him, grabbing his arm. "Sir, please! I just--" Suddenly, a powerful force surged within her and the figure began to disintegrate. Jordy gasped as she felt the ink traveling into her arm, making her fall backward.

Bendy caught Jordy as she fell. **_"Easy there, kid."_ ** He then looked to see the inked figures running away from them. **_"What kind of beef do they got with me?"_ **

Jordy remained silent. Her focus was glued to what had just happened, to her arm. She rolled up her sleeve to examine it. Surrounding her bandaged wound were veins of black that spread like vines. Even some patches of her skin were darkening in color. 

She was shaking with fear. "Ben...I don't know what I just did to that guy...but I think the Searcher that bit me did something to me."

**_"Yeah, no kidding."_ ** Bendy looked down at her arm as he helped Jordy back up on her feet. He wasn't sure what exactly happened or what that Searcher did to her, but the sight of it did ring a sense of familiarity with him. But he couldn't place where he saw it.

Though this left him feeling a bit apprehensive, he tried to take her mind off the trauma and refocus their attention on the mission at hand. **_"Well hey, I bet it'd be pretty fun to show Alice that trick first hand once we rescue Boris..."_ **

Jordy's face twisted in shock at the demon's joke. "Bendy, this isn't funny! I just killed someone and absorbed their ink! With my own hand! That's not normal!"

**_"Oh lighten up, kid,"_ ** Bendy replied. **_"Look, I'm sure Alice might have something in that lab of hers that might take care of that weird arm problem of yours. But first, we gotta find her."_ **

Jordy couldn't believe Bendy was just shrugging off the predicament like it was nothing. Part of her understood it was to keep themselves going, but the other part of her was angry at him for ignoring her fear and wanted to yell at him.

Groaning in frustration, she pushed Bendy aside and went ahead of him, kneeling to unlatch an air vent cover.

Bendy was put off by Jordy's sudden burst of frustration, even if it was justified. He let out a sigh as he leaned down to watch Jordy.

The girl didn't look at Bendy as she opened the vent. She was too mad at him to confront him. Instead, she just took out her cellphone, pressed the flashlight button on, and went ahead.

"Meet me on the other side..." she mumbled once she went into the vent.

Bendy was a bit surprised by her now increasingly cold demeanor towards him. Then he shrugged it off and phased through an ink portal beneath his feet.

Meanwhile, Jordy crouched down on her hands and knees to maneuver across the claustrophobic vent. She wasn't used to doing this and the cold metal felt irritating against her legs, but she did her best to push forward. 

After turning around a corner or two, she found herself approaching the end of the tunnel. She paused for a moment to take a deep breath, letting out whatever anger was festering inside of her. She hoped Bendy would be on the other side waiting for her.

**_"PEEKABOO!"_ ** Bendy said, suddenly appearing from the vent opening Jordy was facing.

"AAAA--OWW!!" Jordy screamed right before she hit her head on the vent's ceiling. She held her head in pain. "Bendy!!"

**_"Hey, I thought you could use a good laugh."_ ** Bendy chuckled to himself. **_"Anyway, I checked ahead and the room this leads to doesn't have any Searchers or anything. It should be safe."_ **

"That didn't make me laugh at all!" Jordy raised her voice angrily. "I just hit my head because you scared the living shit out of me! That wasn't nice!"

Bendy's smile faltered, as the demon became more miffed by her behavior. **_"Calm down, kid. It was just a joke. A bonk on the head ain't gonna kill you."_** He pulled out a hand for Jordy to grab onto. **_"Now are you gonna shake it off and grab on or are you gonna keep complaining and stay in the vent all day?"_**

Jordy growled. Bendy's ignorance and the stunt that he pulled wasn't helping her feel better. But instead of arguing with him further, she sighed, clicking the phone off before putting it back in her purse. "Whatever..." she mumbled as she took Bendy's hand, pulling herself out of the vent and getting back on her feet. Then she went ahead of Bendy to proceed up the stairs.

Bendy soon followed her. He remained silent as they proceeded, figuring it was better if he didn't say anything. At least while the two of them were in their current moods.

The silence between them was unsettling for Jordy. She hated that he wasn't saying anything to her, not even asking her if she was okay. But she hated even more that she was still angry at him and didn't know what to do to help her feel better. She grabbed her hood and pulled it over her head, not wanting Bendy to look at her face as she kept walking.

Bendy paid no mind to Jordy when she put her hood up. He just walked further ahead of her. _**"I'll look ahead and see if there's anything else,"**_ he said coldly as he passed her.

Jordy stopped as soon as Bendy went ahead of her. She couldn't take it anymore. Her anger and anxiety went through the roof. "Would it kill you to stop being an apathetic asshole for one minute?!" she screamed at him.

Bendy halted his steps upon hearing Jordy's voice but didn't turn to look at her.

Jordy approached him as she continued. "You know, it pisses me off that you're not doing a good job showing empathy towards me! You were much better when I was feeling bad about myself after I woke up and even when you confessed to me about the cutouts! Why is this any different?!" Once she reached him, she turned him around and grabbed him by the bowtie to bring him down to her level. "Look at me, Bendy! Can't you see that I'm scared right now?! That whatever that Searcher did to me might be life-threatening or worse?! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE?!"

Bendy just stood there as Jordy vented out her frustrations. Every second of her yelling just served to irritate the Ink Demon even further. **_"Well, you know what?! You wouldn't even BE in this stupid predicament if you would have just listened to me and stayed the hell away from this studio in the first place!"_ ** Bendy roared out, his agitation making him shout even louder than Jordy did, even knocking her off him with full force. The demon towered over her as he continued his fiery rant. **_"You probably had a nice life before you came down to this hellhole! A loving family! Great friends! Maybe a boyfriend or something, I dunno! But NOOO! You decided you NEEDED to throw that away, risk never seeing any of them ever again, just because you felt pity over a poor, beaten up freak of nature! And LOOK WHERE THAT GOT YOU!"_ ** He flung his arms out, drawing attention to the room they're in. **_"Now you're trapped in this nightmare of a dilapidated studio, surrounded by monsters and some psychotic bitch with a disfigured face, and now you got some kind of weird ink people-killing power!_** ** _Was it worth it?! Was ALL OF THAT worth it?! Just so you could maybe be my friend?!"_**

Jordy fell silent as Bendy yelled at her. She couldn't come up with a response to equal his argument. His words stung her, making her realize that he was right. Had she not been so careless, had she not come back in the first place, none of this would've happened to her. But she was too stupid and compassionate to even think about her safety.

With the last of her anger, she punched Bendy in the face and screamed, "Go to Hell!" before running past him as she sobbed hysterically. Then she hid in a Miracle Station, slamming the door behind her and letting her mind sink into spiraling depression and shame.

  
Bendy hardly recoiled at Jordy’s punch. Instead, he just watched her run away from him. **_"Yeah, you go ahead and finally get your head on right! I'm gonna go find the mutt for you, and then you can FINALLY get out of this devildamn studio and BACK WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE!!"_ ** He stomped through a portal he summoned on a nearby wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...yeah. It looks like we'll be on our own for now.
> 
> I honestly didn't think this could get so angsty so fast, but I'm also glad my friend and I took the time to write this. Hope you guys are, too!


	22. No One Can Be Trusted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up that this chapter is a little bit shorter than the previous ones. Mostly because I felt like this scene alone was enough to be its own chapter as filler. Hope you enjoy regardless!

Jordy remained in the station for a while, hugging her knees as she cried the last of her tears. She was blaming herself more than she was Bendy at this point. She didn't mean to yell at him or punch him in the face as she did. She just wanted him to acknowledge her feelings and show a little more compassion towards her. But what more could she do now? He was gone. He was probably still angry with her. And she was afraid of what would happen if she faced him again.

Yet, at the same time, she couldn’t keep hiding from him forever. So she mustered up her courage and slowly opened the door. The room was empty. No monsters or even Bendy were in sight. Both relief and disappointment swept over her at the same time. She then got up from the floor and walked out of the station, sniffling to try to breathe through her stuffed nostrils. Her head was hurting and her eyes and cheeks were swollen red. She even held her arms for comfort and warmth as she exited the hallway.

Just then, a familiar but unnerving voice filled the air. **_"Aww, poor little errand girl ... did you and your 'best friend' get into a spat?"_ ** Alice taunted, every syllable dripping with venomous passive aggression.

"Shut up, Alice..." Jordy mumbled under her breath. She didn't need the angel teasing her at a time like this. It was bad enough she was feeling awful about herself. "I don't want to talk to you."

**_"Honestly it's probably for the best you ditched that disgusting behemoth. Trust me, no one from this cursed studio can be trusted. Especially Joey or his revolting creations. The second you're no longer useful to them or they've lost interest in you, they'll just toss you aside without a second thought."_ **

Jordy twisted her eyes shut and covered her ears as Alice spoke to her. She didn't want to hear any of it because she didn't want to believe it. It was only making her guilt feel worse. She wished she were listening to Boris's voice instead of hers. Anything to take her mind off of her pain and give her some encouragement.

**_"I mean, that's what happened to me,"_** the Angel continued. ** _"Joey thought I wasn't good enough for his precious little cartoon, and tossed me aside like I was nothing. Just like how the Ink Demon shoved you away. I'm just trying to save you that same pain and disappointment I felt at the hands of that bastard."_** Her tone then shifted to something a bit more compassionate. It was a bit fake-sounding, but there was an effort to reach out to Jordy regardless of her intentions. **_"But you don't have to keep feeling this way. I can help you. I know how to get back to the lobby of the studio, so you can finally escape this hell for good. So you can finally be reunited with your family and loved ones ... have you ever thought for a second how worried they must be about you? How much they've missed you? How much they want to see their precious little girl again?..."_ **

Jordy slowly lifted her head and removed her hands from her ears, listening to every word Alice said. She didn't answer at first until she took out her phone and looked at the home screen. Her phone charge was at 30%. "Of course I've thought about it..." she replied. "I know how much my family's worried sick for me...how much it hurts me that I can't call them." She sighed and put the phone away. "Not a day goes by where I don't think of them, how much I miss them, how much they're hurting, wondering if I'm okay, and how much it hurts me knowing I made a stupid mistake by falling here." She breathed in deeply through her nose before gently blowing it out. "But while I appreciate the offer, Alice...I would rather find my own way back."

**_"Hmph, you're pretty determined. It'd be endearing if it wasn't so annoying,"_ ** Alice replied. **_"But are you sure you can find the way out by yourself? Think about it. You don't know this studio very well. And that Ink Demon? He spent all his life in tortured captivity so he was never able to freely explore the studio. But me? I'm quite intimate with its layout. All these years of trying to survive down here sort of do that to a girl. So I'm the only real chance you have of making it out in one piece. And I'll tell you what..."_ ** Alice then stood up and pulled a gurney closer to the mic she was using. On the gurney was a figure covered with a white blanket. **_"I'll even let you take your precious little wolf with you..."_ **

Jordy paused herself in her tracks. She couldn't fully tell if Alice was serious. Would she go through all that trouble to take her back upstairs, let alone free Boris after how hard she worked to get him? It was too good to be true.

Jordy's hands balled into fists, letting out a shaky breath from her lungs. Then she unclenched them, letting herself relax. "You're right about two things. One, that I don't know this studio very well. Hell, I'm not always the brightest person when it comes to directions period. But I'm not helpless either. I could find my way out or I could easily be walking into a death trap. But I won't know until I find out." She paused again to catch her breath. "And two...that no one here can be trusted. And I especially don't trust you." She lifted her head to the ceiling with determination in her eyes. "Even if Bendy wasn't a good friend to me, at least he was willing to lead me back and even follow me down here to free Boris. Hell, I'll bet he's on his way now looking for you and ready to tear off what's left of that disgusting face of yours." Jordy smirked as she took her hood off. "So with or without him, I'm getting out of this studio alive! And no one, not even you can change my mind. Goodbye, Alice!" And with that, she walked off, feeling much better and more confident than she did before.

  
Alice let out a dejected, almost agitated sigh upon hearing Jordy's proclamation. " ** _Have it your way, little girl. Don't say I never lent you a helping hand. And when you find yourself more lost than you were before, don't say I never warned you..."_** She then turned off the intercom she was speaking into, casually walked over to the gurney, and peeked underneath the cover on top of it. A devilish smirk began to form on her lips. **_"And don't you worry, Boris. You'll see your cute little friend again. And I'm looking forward to seeing the look on her face when you two are finally reunited..."_**


	23. The Projectionist's Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Judging by the chapter title alone, you can see that we're going a little out of order for the Chapter 4 sequence. Rest assured, though, it'll still lead to the main events. Hope you all enjoy!

After a while, Jordy reached the furthest part of the corridor. It was getting darker and colder. She was glad that she managed to bring her jacket, even if it was stained by the ink. But she still kept her guard up in case anyone tried to sneak up and attack her. Her pipe remained tucked in her pocket for safekeeping.

Soon enough, Jordy found a room with a bunch of posters of Bendy riding a train and words spelling 'Choo-Choo!' on the walls. She wasn't too sure if this was the right place to go, but she took her chance and opened the door. Inside was a sign that read 'Buddy Boris Railway' with an arrow pointing down to her left side. When she turned that corner, she found a pair of stairs with its floors flooded in ink. She didn't know why, but the sight of it gave her a bad feeling.

Just then, a light shined around one of the corners and hit the wall opposite of it. The faint sound of a projector reel running was heard, and it was slowly growing louder.

Jordy immediately hid away from sight. Waiting a bit for the noise to fade out, she slowly peered her head to see that it was the Projectionist skulking around the black river. Her eyes went wide when she saw he was still alive. She thought Bendy had killed him back when they were on Level 14. But when she noticed that his hands were now deformed and covered in bandages, she could only guess that he at least did a number on him as a warning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door behind her slamming shut, preventing her from escaping. She whipped her head around in that direction, surprised to see that the door had closed on its own. She ran over to try to open it, but the knob wouldn't turn.

"What the--are you kidding me?!" she hissed to herself, still struggling to open the door. She almost took out her pipe and attempted to bust it open, but then remembered the mistake she made last time and put it away.

Jordy pondered for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Then she decided to take her chances inside the inky basement and headed downstairs. She looked around to see if the Projectionist was still in sight before treading forward.

The sulking monster was slowly wading through the ink as he creepily searched for any new prey. He paused for a moment and tilted his head as if he was reacting to something. He then quickly swung his head around, shining his light at what he assumed was the source of the sound he heard.

In her haste, Jordy ran to her left and came across another flight of stairs. Her footsteps echoed the halls, bringing more panic to her as she ran. She didn't have much of a strategy on what to do other than to sprint to the other side and hide behind a photo cutout board, hoping he wouldn’t catch her.

The Projectionist slowly made his way to what he assumed was the source of the sound, but didn't see anything in his sights. He then craned his head around, skimming his light across the entire room. He just barely missed Jordy with his spotlight at one point. But after a minute, he turned away and resumed walking in his little pattern.

Jordy sighed with relief when the Projectionist turned the other way. After ensuring that he was gone, she got out of her hiding spot and continued walking around the upper floor.

Along the way, she came upon a small table with a couple of items placed on top. In the back row were empty cans of Bacon Soup. She wasn't sure why they were there, to begin with, but paid no mind to them. What she was focused on was what laid in the front row. A tall black key that was tied to a string. It was vintage like the one people would see in Victorian-themed movies. She thought maybe it was the key to the door that kept her locked inside.

Instinctually, she grabbed it and made her way back down. But as she did so, her foot collided with a can that was on the floor, rolling off the edge and landing on the Projectionist's head.

The Projectionist naturally recoiled upon the can hitting him and he quickly turned around, his spotlight zooming across the room looking for the source of the commotion.

_Shit!_ Jordy cursed to herself. She needed to act fast and get out before he could catch her. Putting the key away in her purse, she quickly sprinted away from the staircase and headed for the corridor. The ink was heavy underneath her feet, but she was determined to make it out alive.

As she was heading up the smaller set of stairs, her foot slipped on some ink and she tripped, scraping her knee in the process.

The Projectionist then spotted the young woman and began a faster-than-usual jog to her, pulling out a hand to reach out to her.

Jordy's heart froze as she noticed the Projectionist coming for her. She pulled out her pipe to try to fight back. "S-stay back!" she stuttered. "I'm not afraid to use this!"

The Projectionist silently and effortlessly backhanded the pipe out of her hand. It bounced off a nearby wall and then landed into the ink, where it sunk to its depths.

"Hey!" Jordy yelled as the pipe was flung from her. When she saw it sink, she cursed and recoiled, realizing that she was unarmed and standing in front of a monster that possibly wanted to drown her. 

Then another form of realization came to her and she slapped her forehead. "God, what am I doing?" She then reached her right hand out to the Projectionist's lens and decided to use her new power against him.

The Projectionist let out an ear-piercing screech, as it was clear he was not enjoying the seething feeling on Jordy's hand against his lens.

Jordy could feel a searing pain as she was absorbing the Projectionist's energy. She wanted to keep holding onto him long enough to melt him down as she did to the humanoid ink creature. But the Projectionist's resistance showed that she wasn't strong enough to handle his ink.

After a few moments, the monster broke away from her grasp and took a second to figuratively catch his breath. Jordy then chose to listen to common sense and ran for the Miracle Station behind her. She shut the door tight, holding onto the handle while keeping herself hidden from the hole that peeked out from the door. _Please don't come in here, please don't come in here, oh God, please don't come in here!_ she thought to herself, praying that by some miracle he would stay immobilized.

Once the Projectionist regained his bearings, he chased Jordy up until she got into the Miracle Station. He slowly approached the box and attempted to reach his stump of a hand inside the peephole...

**_"What did I tell you, pal?"_**

Suddenly, the sound of the door came breaking down and Bendy appeared, punching the Projectionist in the face. The lumbering beast tried to hit back, but the Ink Demon grabbed his arm before it could reach him. Bendy then used his free hand to grab the Projectionist by the throat and lift him.

**_"Looks like I'm gonna have to give you a more ... thorough lesson..."_** he said, bringing his other hand up to grab the bottom of the projector head.

Then, after a few seconds of struggle, the Ink Demon ripped the Projectionist's head clean off his shoulders. He then kicked the headless body down to the ground and held the projector head in front of him. ** _"And maybe this time, you can actually take a hint and leave my friend alone!"_ ** He punched the lens of the projector and then slammed it down onto the ground. The impact busted the projector open, leaving its contents seeping out.

Jordy gasped when Bendy came out of nowhere and fought the Projectionist. Even seeing him rip the monster's head off left her shocked, yet astounded. He couldn't have come at a more appropriate time and, despite their spat from earlier, she was glad he did.

"Bendy!" Jordy exclaimed as she rushed out of the Miracle Station and hugged him.

Bendy was taken aback from her sudden hug. **_"Hey, hey, okay now,"_ ** he said as he gently pried Jordy off of him. **_"No need to get sappy over here."_ **

"Ben...you don't know how happy I am to see you again. I’m...” She sighed, regret filling her as she looked down. “I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you or make you mad at me...I just wanted you to understand why I was angry and upset."

Bendy stood there for a moment before he put a hand on Jordy's head and rubbed it. _**"No need to apologize, kid. Besides, we can talk about more after we rescue the mu--I mean, Boris."**_ He then leaned forward to her level. _ **“And this time, I won’t let you out of my sight.”**_

Jordy looked up and put her hand on Bendy’s as he rubbed her head. "You promise?"

Bendy then removed his hand and held hers. **_“Promise."_**

****With that, he began to lead Jordy away from the area they were in and they both went back on course to save Boris.


	24. Carnival Games

"Well...that was quite an epic battle back there," Jordy said as she and Bendy walked hand-in-hand. "Too bad you missed the opportunity to say, 'Alas, poor Projectionist...I hardly knew thee.'" She held her free hand out in Shakespearean fashion.

Bendy tilted his head. **_"Why would I say that?"_ ** He used his free hand to scratch the back of his head.

"I dunno, just for the dramatic flair, I guess. Gotta think creatively, you know?" Jordy tapped her noggin with her index finger.

Bendy shrugged his shoulders. ** _"Eh. I guess I just had more important things on my mind..."_**

"Fair enough." Jordy turned her head back to the open doorway where she and Bendy came from. "But hey, if it's any consolation, you certainly saved me the trouble of having to break down the door." She paused for a moment before reaching into her pocket and taking out the key. "But then...what is this for?"

**_"Not sure..."_ ** Bendy replied, bending over to examine the key. **_"But still, you might wanna hold onto it, just to be safe."_ **

"I was already thinking that," Jordy said as she put the key away. "By the way, what have you been up to since we separated? Any leads on where Alice might be?"

**_"Yeah. I think she's hidden somewhere in this area,"_ ** Bendy said, pulling out some discarded papers that appeared to be in the form of blueprints. **_"I found these on a table on one of the upper floors. They’re blueprints of all these sections we haven’t been to yet and I’ve been studying them to see where Alice might’ve taken Boris.”_ **

Jordy took a moment to skim through the blueprints in Bendy’s hand. “Oh wow. I didn’t think there’d be so many rooms in this studio. How did Joey manage to do that?” Then she caught her eye on a particular piece of paper. “‘Bendy Land?’ What’s that?”

**_“Oh, that. Not sure, but if I ain’t mistaken, I think it might be connected to that secret project I mentioned earlier.”_ ** Bendy rolled up the papers and put them away. **_“Either way, I'm guessing wherever Alice and Boris are at, that key of yours will help us flush them out."_ **

"Here's hoping..." Jordy said, lifting her right hand to her face. The ink was starting to spread to her fingertips as more dark blotches appeared on her skin. "Let's pray that we don't run into any more enemies. I lost my pipe during my encounter with the Projectionist. And I think using my new power's starting to take a toll on me."

**_"Yeah ... still don't know what that's all about..."_ ** Bendy said, noticing the strain she was enduring. **_"Maybe you might wanna lay low and let me handle all the fighting..."_ **

"For once, I agree with you," Jordy said, tilting her head up to Bendy. Her lips formed a small smile. "By the way...thanks for coming back for me."

Bendy was a bit hesitant to say anything in response, but after a moment of silence, he replied, **_"You're welcome."_ ** Then he proceeded forward, leading the way for Jordy.

* * *

Soon enough, the two reach a new location that was blanketed with darkness. Jordy let go of Bendy's hand to feel the wall for a light switch. "Geez, you'd think it'd be easier for people to find a damn switch the moment you walk into a pitch-black room," she mumbled under her breath, still searching. "Let me know if you find one, Ben."

Bendy fumbled across the room as well, feeling around for a switch. He stopped when his hand slid onto something peculiar. **_"I think I found it!"_ **He shouted as he flipped what he assumed was the switch.

The moment he did so, a series of lights came on, revealing the room he and Jordy were in was a warehouse filled with carnival games. There was even a sign at the top of the entrance that read 'Bendy Land,' except the 'Land' part was rewritten in black ink as 'Hell.' A chill ran down Jordy's spine upon reading it.

**_“Huh...so this is ‘Bendy Land?’”_ ** Bendy said, taking a moment to read the sign and observe the area. **_“Looks like a dump, honestly.”_ **

“Uh-huh…” Jordy replied hesitantly.

Then a familiar voice spoke above them through the intercom. **_"Well, well, well...it's about time you two showed up,”_ **Alice said emotionlessly.

**_"And it's about time you stop skirting around and face us,"_ ** Bendy shouted out. **_"You saw what I did to the Projectionist. You're just delaying the inevitable so just save us both some trouble and let's get this over with."_ **

**_"Have patience, Ink Demon._** **_You just reunited with your little friend here. You two look like you could use a little fun in your lives. So..."_** With a snap of Alice's fingers, a bunch of game booths lit up in front of Bendy and Jordy. **_"We're going to play some games! If you score high enough, I'll give you access to Boris's location."_**

Jordy's shoulders slunk down in response. "Seriously? You’re just purposely delaying us even further!"

**_"Eh, it's just a couple of carnival games,"_ ** Bendy shrugged off confidently. **_"We can tackle them just fine."_ **

**_"That's the spirit!_ ** " Alice beamed. Her voice then shifted into something akin to a radio announcer. **_"Step right up, lady and gentle-demon! Test your strength on the high striker!"_ ** A spotlight shined on a high striker with a huge mallet resting on its lever. **_"As they say, ladies first."_ **

"Well, okay then..." Jordy sighed, feeling a bit more annoyed than unconfident. She stepped forward and picked up the mallet in her hands, Though it wasn’t heavy, her right arm was still sore from her last encounter. Hopefully, it wouldn’t impede her strength. 

With a deep breath, she swung backward before landing an impact on the lever. However, her effort wasn't enough for the puck to hit the bell on top. "Damn it!"

Bendy then took the mallet out of Jordy's hands, and effortlessly swung the mallet onto the lever. The force caused the puck to skyrocket to the bell, emitting a loud ding sound when it hits.

**_"So um, where's the real test?"_ ** Bendy said, a mix of sarcasm and pride in his voice.

Jordy just smirked at him. "Show off," she muttered, moving onto the next game.

**_"Come on in, folks! Don't be shy,"_** Alice continued her radio host impersonation. **_"Test your skills in knocking down all these jugs in Milk Toss!"_ **

"Now this, I think I can do easily," Jordy said. She grabbed a ball from the wooden counter, tossing it into her hand before throwing it in the first row of jugs. They immediately toppled over the barrel. "Yes! Did you see that?"

**_"Yeah yeah, I saw it,"_ ** Bendy replied, amused by Jordy's bravado. **_"Just because I have ink over my eyes doesn't mean I can't see."_ **

Jordy couldn't help but chuckle. Then she focused back on knocking over the other two rows of jugs. As she threw the last ball though, only one jug remained standing. 

For a moment, Jordy thought she had lost. But as soon as she heard a victory chime ring, she was taken by surprise.

**_"Well, it seems like you passed,"_ ** Alice said half amused. **_"Well done, Jordy! Now let's see if you can test your aim with the shooting gallery!"_ ** The lights on the milk jug booth turned off and another booth right next to it was illuminated.

**_"Oooh, that looks interesting,"_ ** Bendy said sarcastically, clearly tired of having to go through these carny games but was willing to go through it for Jordy and Boris' sake. **_"How's your aim, kid?"_ **

"Um, fairly decent?" Jordy replied with uncertainty. "I haven't played too many shooting games before, but I'll try my best."

**_"That is all you can do, little errand girl,"_ ** Alice encouraged.

"Don't call me that..." Jordy frowned, feeling degraded by Alice's nickname for her. Without further hesitation, she picked the BB gun up in her hand and kept herself still, waiting for the targets to come up.

Bendy stepped aside to give Jordy room so she could shoot any targets that popped up. A jingle then played and the first target appeared.

Swiftly, Jordy aimed her gun at it and shot the first bullet, creating a ding sound. It then moved back down and two more rose back up quicker than she realized. She tried moving over to the target on her left and then on her right, but the latter moved back down too fast before the bullet could reach it.

"Damn it, why is this so hard?" she grumbled as she struggled to get three more targets.

**_"How about this? Just imagine the targets being something you don't like. Like, say, the two-faced horror show forcing us to play these games,"_ ** Bendy suggested, cockily tilting his head upward imagining he's looking at Alice.

**_"You are aware that I can hear you, right?"_ ** the angel replied, not liking the Ink Demon's snide remark.

**_"Yes, yes I am,"_ ** Bendy responded to Alice with a smirk.

Jordy couldn't help but laugh at Bendy's jab. It helped to brighten her day since she woke up from her coma. However, it also distracted her from her game as she raised her gun and unknowingly shot on one of the wooden beams holding the stand together. The bullet bounced off and flung over Jordy's head, which she ducked from immediately.

**_"Whoa!"_** Bendy yelped as the bullet darted past him and hit the wall behind him. When he turned his head, he saw the bullet went right through, sizzling from its tiny crevice. **_"Devildamn..."_** He then shifted himself to look at Jordy. **_"You okay, kid?"_**

"Y-yeah," Jordy said, lifting her head to see the damage she'd done. Then the sound of a loud buzzer blared in her eardrums, startling her.

**_"Maybe try keeping your eyes on the targets this time,"_** Bendy firmly suggested. **_"It might help with your aim."_**

"Gee, thanks," Jordy muttered. She turned herself back around and took a deep breath. "Okay, okay, okay...I can try again. I got this!" She aimed her gun again as soon as the game reactivated.

**_"Don't worry, kid. You got this,"_** Bendy said, keeping a close eye on her in case she messed up again.

  
  


This time, Jordy paid careful attention to the pattern of each target. Every bullet that she shot created more dings than she got last time. Some she still missed, but it didn't discourage her one bit.

Soon enough, the last shot was fired and the victory chime she waited for had arrived. "YES!! I DID IT!!" she cheered, jumping and moving her hips around to do a victory dance. Then she held her hand up to Bendy. "High five!"

**_"High what?"_ ** Bendy asked as he blankly stared at Jordy and her hand in the air.

Jordy paused. She was surprised that Bendy didn't know what a high-five was. Then again, he did mention before that he had been locked away from the world. No better time to show him than the present.

"Oh, it's called a high five," she said. "It's a gesture that friends do to say 'Good job!' Here, hold up your hand and I'll show you."

Bendy tilted his head in confusion, but afterward, he pulled his hand up as instructed.

"Okay, now you just..." Jordy collided her palm with Bendy's, forming a smacking sound. "High five!" She held her hand back up again. "Now you try it."

Bendy shrugged with his other arm, and then hit his palm against hers, unknowingly pushing Jordy away a few feet.

"AAAA!!" the girl screamed as the force sent her flying backward. She landed on her backside, knocking into a trash can in the process. “Oww…”

Bendy hurried over and lent out a hand to help her up. **_"I don't think high fives are really for me, kid,"_ ** He said sheepishly.

"W-we'll work on it..." Jordy replied as she weakly sat up. She then took Bendy's hand to help her back on her feet.

**_"Ahem,"_ ** Alice cleared her throat through the intercom. **_"I don't mean to interrupt your little moment, but I do believe Boris has waited long enough for his rescue party."_ ** With those words spoken, a spotlight slowly faded in, revealing what appeared to be an old house. **_"Behold. The haunted house, Bendy Land's scariest attraction."_ **

Jordy took a moment to examine the attraction. The exterior was aged with wooden frames and floorboards. It didn’t seem like much to her at first.

**_"Now hold on a minute,”_ ** Bendy retorted. **_“_** ** _You said you'd take us to see the mu--ahem, you said you'd let us see Boris if we played your carny games. So stop beating around the bush and take us to him already!"_ **

**_"This is where he is, Ink Demon,"_ ** Alice corrected him. **_"He’s right inside waiting for you. And I would grant you access. However, it won't activate without the ignition key and it appears to be missing."_ **

"Ignition key?" Jordy repeated, taking a moment to process what Alice meant. Then she put two and two together and reached into her pocket to pull out the key she had found earlier. "Oh, so that's what this is for!"

**_"Then I guess we're gonna need to head there anyway. You ready, kid?"_ ** Bendy asked Jordy as he gestured to the attraction.

"Mmhmm," Jordy nodded, rushing herself over to the ignition station. She gently pushed the key into its hole before turning it clockwise.

Soon enough, the machine rumbled, giving life to the haunted house as the doors opened up. Then the house revealed a pair of pie-cut eyes and a row of sharp teeth attached to the roof's front. Even the sound of demonic laughter came about, which caught Jordy off guard.

She swallowed, trying to shake away her hesitation. "Well...this is it. Now or never.”

Bendy walked to the door and stood in front of Jordy. **_"Just stay close,"_ ** he instructed as he entered the house.

Jordy nodded once more, following Bendy inside. _Please hang in there, Boris,_ she prayed in her head. _We're coming._


	25. Boris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp...this is it. Get ready for heaviness and tears.

**_"Welcome to the Haunted House,"_ ** the Angel spoke macabrely in a Romanian accent. **_"Please approach the vehicle in front of you, if you dare. And remember to keep your arms and legs inside at all times."_ **

Bendy sat down in the vehicle in front of him and then inched to the side to give Jordy room to sit with him. **_"This feels real demeaning..."_ ** he said under his breath.

Jordy sat inside next to Bendy, clutching the bar and keeping her back straight so she wouldn't hurt herself. She was feeling slightly apprehensive about this ride. Not because she didn't like haunted houses, but because she didn't know what to expect. And she was hoping they weren't too late to rescue Boris.

**_"And now, the ride truly begins,"_** Alice said in her normal voice. The cart began to move forward and the doors to the tunnel opened. **_"Come on in, and pretend it's all just a bad dream."_**

Bendy lowered his head to Jordy's height. **_"SHE'LL be the one wishing this is a bad dream the second I get my hands on her..."_ ** he grumbled, then sat back upright. **_"I can barely fit into this stupid thing."_ **

"Sorry, Ben..." Jordy replied softly, still holding onto the bar.

The cart soon approached what looked like a brick cave. Eerie, glowing eyes faded in from the shadows, resembling a certain cartoon that Jordy was familiar with.

Then her guard was caught off when a ghost puppet popped out of a gravestone. She gasped for a brief moment but then relaxed knowing it was just a display.

Bendy gave out a soft chuckle of amusement, probably the only funny thing he saw during his trip through Bendy Land. **_"All the stuff we've been through down here, and you get spooked by that?"_ ** he asked in a teasing manner.

"Shut up," Jordy replied, lightly bumping him with her elbow. She couldn't help but chuckle back, feeling a sense of relief.

As the ride continued, Alice decided to speak up. **_"You know...it's a funny thing, how little has fallen apart so fast over the years. We never did have control over the studio, you know. Either he tried to put you into someone else's pocket or he'd fit them into yours."_ **

Jordy blinked as she thought of who Alice was referring to. He. The man behind this place, who brought her here as an act of deceit.

Joey Drew.

The Angel resumed her soliloquy. **_"And truly, I'm not the real bad guy here. Sure, I kidnapped your friend, sabotaged your mission, and almost had you killed on more than one occasion. But really...I just want what was promised to me all those years ago."_ ** Sobs could be heard through the speaker. **_"I just want to be beautiful again! Surely, you both can understand that, right?"_ **

Bendy let out a disgusted scoff as she continued her monologue. He might not have known Alice for very long, but nothing from any of their encounters gave him any reason to trust her. The only reason he didn't just tear right through the ride to her (and then tear right through her as well) was so Jordy wouldn't be unprotected. He left her alone once, and he wanted to be a better friend to her like he promised her. The friend that, against all understanding, was willing to throw her life away just to be friends with him.

"But killing all those Boris clones and harvesting their insides just so you could be ‘beautiful’?" Jordy said. "That isn't right. Didn't you ever stop to think about what you're doing is wrong? Or do you just not care?"

Alice sniffled bitterly. Of course, she knew it was wrong. But she had her reasons for committing such malice. And no one would understand, not even the girl.

Instead of acknowledging Jordy’s response, Alice decided to change the subject. **_"Well, enough about me. I want to know more about you, Jordy. How exactly did you end up here?"_ **

Jordy blinked, hesitant to answer Alice's question. "What do you mean by that?"

**_“I mean how did you find out about this place? Hardly anyone ever comes here nowadays.”_ **

Jordy turned to Bendy, mentally asking him if she should tell Alice.

**_"You don't have to tell her anything, kiddo,"_ ** he said, trying to act unfazed so that he didn’t show weakness to either Alice or Jordy. **_"It's not like she cares anyway."_ **

**_"Oh, come on, Ink Demon,"_ ** Alice protested. **_"Let her talk if she wants to. I'll listen. I love a good story."_ **

Jordy held onto her silence for one more moment before reluctantly giving in. She breathed in deeply. "I got a flyer from Joey Drew in the mail," she said. "It said he was holding an animation workshop for students and graduates. Only when I got there did I realize it was a scam."

**_"Ah, yes, the old 'Animation Workshop' scheme. Joey was always good at crushing other people's hopes and dreams. How ironic considering all the motivational speeches he recorded."_ ** She chuckled. _ **"**_ ** _ **Anyway** , what happened after you found out there was no workshop?"_ **

Jordy flinched. "I...I left," she answered truthfully, yet reluctantly.

**_"Oh! You left! My, my, that's very rare! Not everyone can just leave this place alive!"_ ** She paused. **_"_** ** _But, answer me this, my dear. If you left, then why are you still here? Coercion? Accountability? Or perhaps...did you CHOOSE to come back on your OWN accord?"_ **

Bendy knew exactly what Alice was getting at. He didn't admit it openly, but he was still a bit sore from the argument he and Jordy had over that very topic. He didn't want to bring it up though because he wanted to be more compassionate like Jordy wanted him to. So once the question was brought up, Bendy remained silent. He thought he knew better than to get involved in something he just got out of.

Jordy was getting fed up by Alice's constant interrogation. She knew the Angel was trying to get under her skin and make her feel bad, for she, too, still couldn't shake off the spat she had with Bendy. "I don't want to talk about it," she said firmly.

**_"Aww, but why not?"_ ** Alice insisted. **_"There's nothing wrong with saying you came back on your own if that's what you did. But why, is the question? Could it have something to do with the Ink Demon?"_ **

"Alice, stop! Just drop it!”

**_"Did he persuade you to stay or was it YOU who wanted to stay? Do you actually CARE about him? Do you think he feels the same way about you and isn't just befriending you out of obligation??"_ **

Try as he might, Bendy was having a hard time keeping his pent up agitation in check. He slammed a fist down on the restraint bar of the vehicle, which startled Jordy. **_"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND DELAYING EVERY SINGLE DEVILDAMN THING?!”_ ** he yelled out, a deep beastly reverb underneath his breath. **_“Satan f___ing Lucifer, for someone who hates Joey's guts so much, you sure do love acting like him, don't cha?! We played your stupid games, we did your stupid errands, we're riding your stupid ride. And now what, you wanna put us through a stinkin' quiz show too?! Just for once, drop the cryptic ringleader act and GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!"_ ** He clenched his gloved fist tight. **_"And you’d better think long and hard about whatever kind of snarky reaction I know you're about to spit out because I'm running low on patience..."_ **

Bendy gave a short pause. **_"...Actually, maybe that's why Joey dropped you? I mean, let's be real here, you're not exactly that good an actress. What kinda schlocky accent was that a few moments ago? He was probably gonna give you the boot anyway because of your total lack of talent, but I feel like the attitude issues were probably the icing on the cake.”_**

**_”Be quiet, Ink Demon,”_** Alice hissed angrily.

**_“I mean, you get so attached to a fictional character that you're convinced you ARE her? Talk about mental asylum fodder, am I right?”_ **

**_“I said BE QUIET!!”_ **

**_“Say whatever you want about the other lunkheads down here, but even they knew who they were. You though? You're a broken no-talent schmuck who's so desperate to be something they clearly ain’t that they're willing to slice apart anyone they see to make it happen. Heh, and WHICH one of us is supposed to be the monster again, SUSIE??"_ **

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Jordy shouted, the walls filled with her echoes. The tunnel instantly fell silent as the girl fumed with anger. "Just shut up, both of you! I'm so sick of going through this stupid cycle of hating, screaming, and getting hurt all over again! Just...just stop, okay?! I just want to rescue Boris and go home already! Is that too much to ask?" She buried her head into her arms and groaned loudly, feeling overwhelmed with the negativity that was surrounding her.

Alice just stared at the girl, startled by her eruption. Though Bendy’s insults did sting, including the one where he said _that_ name, she finally let the subject die down. **_"Yes, ma'am,"_ ** she said as the cart approached another set of doors, moving them into the next room.

Bendy just sat there, still stewing in his own negativity, which got shaken up by Jordy's outburst. He kept silent, not wanting to make both of them feel worse again.

Soon, they approached a more lively setting. It appeared to be a ballroom lit by a tall chandelier and surrounded by portraits of ghastly-looking characters and a pipe organ that played loud and low in the background. But it was also cluttered with boxes, barrels, and even one of the 3D printers they saw back in the cavern.

Jordy lifted her head, softening her breathing as she glanced at the room. "Oh, wow..." she mumbled in awe.

Bendy glimpsed around the ballroom as well, still wanting to stew a bit in his emotion but was still able to appreciate the décor and atmosphere. **_"Yeah..."_ **

**_"If you think THIS is impressive,"_ ** Alice boasted, **_"hang on tight, you two. I've got a surprise coming up!"_ **

The cart began to approach another set of doors, leading to a darker tunnel. Jordy brought herself upright on her seat, trying to steady her heartbeat. Whatever was waiting inside those doors, it would either excite her or frighten her. She hoped to God it wasn't the latter.

The cart then came to an abrupt halt, as if some obstruction had forced it to stop. It was two giant hands, holding the cart in place. The rest of the figure was covered in shadow, making it hard to tell who or what stopped it.

Then the figure leaned forward, revealing it to be... 

**_“Boris?!”_ ** Bendy exclaimed in shock. 

Or rather, it was the head of Boris. The rest of his body was quite a far cry from the wolf's usual figure, being rather large and burly, with prosthetics holding it together. The hulk-like monster chuckled deeply.

Jordy gasped. "Boris!" She stood up from her seat, examining the brute wolf from up close. She couldn't believe what became of him. The way his eyes were sewn shut, how engorged his body was, and even the guts that spilled from an open chest cavity. "Oh my God..." she said, reaching out to touch his face. "What happened to you?"

With no hesitation, Boris moved his hands to underneath the cart, then slowly picked it up. Jordy fell back into her seat as he did so. Afterward, he tossed it out of the tunnel and back into the ballroom.

Bendy grabbed Jordy and held her close to him, using his own body to cushion the fall so she wouldn't get hurt.

"Ahh!!" Jordy screamed as the cart crashed into the wall. She braced herself as she and Bendy fell, landing on top of the demon's body. Then she lifted her head as the Angel cackled.

**_"Feast your eyes on the new and improved Boris!"_ ** she shouted malevolently. **_"I got what I wanted, and in return, I gave him so much more! And now, thanks to my new formula, his will is under MY command!! Go, Boris! Tear them apart! Leave nothing!"_ **

"NO!!" Jordy screamed in tears as she stood up. "Boris, please! I don't want to fight you!"

Boris didn't respond. Instead, he lumbered slowly towards Jordy. As soon as he reached her, his grotesque physique towering over her, he raised his hands up intending to slam them down onto the young woman.

**_"NO!"_ ** Bendy grabbed Boris' arms before they could touch Jordy, and then kicked the malformed beast in the stomach. The impact shoved Boris a few feet away, but not enough to render him immobilized. Clearly, Alice did a good job of making him capable of taking a decent amount of punishment.

**_"I'll keep him busy, you run and hide!"_ ** he said to Jordy.

Jordy flinched reluctantly before fleeing across the room. She crouched down behind a couch, her heart pounding against her chest. She hated what was happening. She hated what Alice did to Boris and that he was being forced to fight. Though she was grateful for Bendy's help, she didn't want Boris to get killed. She wished there was a way she could snap him out of that mind control the Angel had put him through. But for now, all she could do was watch.

Bendy was on the defense, trying to find a way to incapacitate Boris without destroying him. However, any traces of the wolf's once joyful personality were now replaced with that of a mindless, bestial killer. During their scuffle, Boris grabbed Bendy in a headlock. But Bendy swung his head back, putting the monster in a daze. However, the sharp horns on top of Bendy's head punctured the side of Boris's head, with large ink blotches dropping out.

Upon noticing them, Bendy had an idea. **_"Hey kid!"_ ** he shouted to Jordy. **_"The blotches! Take them to the 3D printer in here!"_ **

Jordy glanced at Bendy, then noticed the 3D printer right next to her hiding spot. She quickly ran over to the other side and held her hand up. "Can you toss one here?" she called back. "I'm afraid of getting too close and having him clobber me!"

Bendy quickly grabbed the blotch and threw it over to Jordy, but he was then vulnerable to a punch from Boris that knocked him against the wall behind him.

Jordy gasped, but then ran forward to catch the blot, fumbling as she prevented it from falling on the floor. She then hurried back over to the 3D printer, trying to turn the wheel to the right symbol to help Bendy. As soon as she landed on the pipe image, she immediately put the ink in the slot, turned the crank, and waited a few seconds for the machine to print out a fully fleshed pipe.

She grabbed it as soon as it was developed and turned to Boris. She was hesitant, afraid of hurting Boris, even though she knew she had no choice. Swallowing the nervous lump down her throat, she ran behind the brute monster and whacked her weapon against his back.

The blunt force of the pipe forced Boris over to the side, the beast trying to regain his composure while even more ink spewed out.

**_"Now, kid!”_ ** Bendy said, struggling to sit up. **_“While he's down for the count!"_ **

Jordy stepped closer, keeping her pipe grasped in her hands. She looked down at him as he was bleeding ink. Even though he was a monster, she could still see Boris in his features. It broke her heart to see him in so much pain. 

"I...I can't!" Jordy said, shaking her hand. "I can't do it!" She immediately dropped her weapon and knelt to the monster's level. "Boris! Please! If you can hear me, say something! I know you're in there!"

The monstrous Boris laid there for a moment, almost as if he was contemplating something. He took one good look at Jordy before pinning her down with his giant hand. Then he raised his other fist again.

"B-Boris, wait!" Jordy called out, trying to break free from the wolf's grip.

But before Boris could harm Jordy, Bendy grabbed the monster's arms and put him in an arm lock. **_"It's not Boris!”_ ** the demon said. **_“It's some kind of trick Alice is putting on you. To make you vulnerable!"_ **

**_"He's right, Jordy,"_ ** Alice intervened. **_"No matter how hard you try, Boris won't listen to you. His only goal is to see your blood on his hands..."_ **

As Alice chuckled, Jordy stood back, shaking her head in denial. "No...no, no, no!!" she cried, gripping her hair.

Bendy was starting to lose grip of the deformed Boris. **_"Jordy, just snap out of it and put him out of his misery! He would want you to do it!"_ **

Boris then finally broke free and picked up Bendy. He slammed the Ink Demon against a nearby table, and then chucked him against what was left of the cart the two were originally on.

Jordy jolted from her inner turmoil upon hearing the impact. "Bendy!" she gasped, rushing over to him. Her path was blocked by the behemoth, who just stared down at her with his arms out and his canines covered in ink.

**_"Uh, oh! Looks like Boris won't let you reach the Ink Demon,"_** Alice taunted. **_"You're going to have to make a choice, Jordy. Either watch one friend die or kill the other. What will it be, my dear?"_**

Jordy hesitated, contemplating on what to do. She took one more good look at Boris's visage, frightened. He had tried to hurt her twice. He hurt the Ink Demon more. He was no longer the friend that she fought so hard to rescue.

Finally conceding, Jordy reached down and pick her weapon back up. She didn't want it to come to this. She really didn't. Tears welled in her eyes as she raised her pipe in the air. "I'm sorry, buddy..."

Suddenly, Alice whispered through some sort of demonic symbol she carried in her hand. **_"Boris...remember this girl...remember the short time you two spent together...playing cards, eating bacon soup, traversing through the dark. You don't REALLY want to hurt her...do you?"_ **

The hypnotic words echoed through Boris' head, and he lowered his arms. His fractured mind began recollecting whatever memories of his past life Alice would allow him to remember. He stood there reminiscing. Distracted. Defenseless. **"J...Jordy..."**

Before she could hear him say her name, the pipe soon landed on Boris's open chest, bursting his organs with one whack. The impact was so strong that the pipe broke in half.

Boris coughed as the ink flowed out of his opened cavity. He used his hand to try and clog it up but to no avail. He then fell on his back with a loud, thunderous thud.

Bendy pulled himself back up from the wreckage he was tossed into and saw what Jordy did. **_"Kiddo! Are you okay?"_ ** he asked as he limped over to her.

The moment Jordy opened her eyes and felt Boris's ink splash on her face, she recoiled, realizing what she had done. "BORIS!!" She immediately ran to him, kneeling to his level and shaking his body awake. "Boris, no! No! I'm sorry! Please, please don’t die on me! PLEASE!!"

Before life could fade away from his body, Boris' eyes opened up to see a heartbroken Jordy. He grabbed her hand and responded in a very raspy voice. "D ... don't w...worry ... I am ... not up ... set ..." He coughed again, his hand starting to lose grip of hers. "Th...Thank you, Jordy ... for ... f...freeing ... mee...."

And with that, his eyes closed for good and his hand slid out of Jordy's, landing on the ground. The wolf that was once Boris was now gone.

  
"Boris...?” Jordy called out to him. He didn't move. “Boris?!” She shook him once more, hoping he would stir. But nothing happened. “No...NO!!" Her sobs became more hysterical as she leaned her head on Boris's stomach, grieving for him. "Boris..."

Bendy limped over to the sobbing Jordy and knelt next to her. He held a hand out, pulled it back hesitantly for a moment, but then placed it on Jordy's back to pat it a few times. **_"I'm ... I'm sorry, Jordy..."_ **

Jordy turned and threw her arms around Bendy, her face covered in tears and snot as she continued crying over his shoulder.

Bendy was startled by Jordy's sudden move. However, once she wrapped her arms around him, he slowly and gently placed one hand at the back of her shoulders and the other on her back. He gently patted her as she kept embracing him. **_"Don't worry, kiddo._** ** _He's no longer trapped in this crazy studio. He's ... somewhere better..."_ ** He wasn't sure if he believed his own words, but he was willing to say anything to help quell Jordy's sadness.

She wanted to believe Bendy. She wanted his embrace to be enough to comfort her make her stop crying. Jordy coughed, struggling to breathe.

Her moment of seeking solace was broken when a needle was suddenly plunged into Bendy's neck.


	26. The Demon's Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter will contain minor gore. Proceed with caution.

**_"NNGH!"_ ** Bendy instinctively grabbed the back of his neck, as whatever he was injected with began taking effect over him. **_"W...What?"_ **

"Bendy!!" Jordy screamed, her guard caught off by the sudden move. She then saw Alice appear from behind, staring down at the both of them with a sharp frown and the needle in her hand.

**_"This is what happens when you make friends with a human, Ink Demon,"_ ** Alice sneered. **_"You become vulnerable and let your guard down."_ **

Bendy tried to rush towards Alice, but his leg gave in, and he fell. **_"W-what ... did you do to me?"_ **

**_"Not much. Just injected an extra dose of my formula into your system."_ ** Alice flicked her finger against the empty needle. **_"The morphine does weaken your muscles, but it hasn't even taken full effect yet."_ **

Jordy hurried over to Bendy, kneeling to try to help him up. Then she turned to face Alice, her eyes still burning with tears. "Why...why are you doing this?!"

**_"To prove a point, my dear errand girl. I'm the one in control here! Not the Ink Demon, not even Joey Drew! I don't care who I have to torture or kill to get these hideous freaks to obey me! I will see to it that this studio is bent to MY will!"_**

**_"Heh..."_** Bendy slowly moved, using whatever strength he had to stand up. ** _"Y-You think this is gonna prove anything?”_** he asked boldly. **_“You can't take me on by yourself, so you had to rely on someone else meddling in to dethrone me? Like anyone's gonna cower against some snake who has someone else doing their heavy lifting. If you can't do things yourself, you won't last down here..."_ ** He gestured to her. **_"You wanna prove you're better than me? Take me on by yourself."_ **

Fear filled Alice's eyes to see the Ink Demon stand before her. Nevertheless, she scowled and drew a knife from the back of her dress. **_"Fine. I've still got the upper hand anyway. I upgraded my formula thanks to that little brat, so you'll be dead by the time I'm done with you."_**

Before Bendy could make the first move, Jordy stood between him and Alice. "Bendy wait!" She turned her attention to the Angel. "You just said I 'upgraded your formula...?' What are you talking about?"

**_"Oh, you didn't know?"_ ** Alice feigned her innocence. **_"While you were hanging for dear life inside the elevator, I took the liberty in taking a sample of your blood."_ ** She pulled out a vile from the bosom of her dress, displaying the dark red liquid to Jordy.

"What?! How did you--" The girl stopped herself. She recalled what happened in the elevator, when the Searcher bit her arm and caused her to pass out. It had taken her blood. And brought it back to Alice. "It was you...you summoned that Searcher to bite me. You gave me this!" Jordy unrolled her sleeve, revealing her ink-stained arm.

Alice just grinned with her arms crossed. **_"Now you see what happens when you decide to stay and make friends with a demon? You never would’ve gotten ink poisoning had you left. You've no one to blame but yourself."_ **

In the blink of an eye, Bendy swiped his hand against Alice, smacking the blood vile out of her hand and causing it to shatter against the wall. **_"You really need to do us a favor and shut up for once."_ **

Alice recoiled, shocked by Bendy's move. She immediately retaliated by stabbing him below his ribcage and kicked him. **_"And you need to do yourself a favor and stay down!"_ **

Bendy didn't flinch from either attacks. Instead, he grabbed Alice's hand tightly and slowly raised her to his eye level. **_"I asked you first,"_ **he hissed at her.

As the two squabbled, Jordy's body shook with rage. More tears fell from her swollen eyes and her fists were tightly clenched. It was all Alice’s fault. She took Boris away from her. She tricked them into collecting those items, making false promises of giving him back when she had better plans. She tried to kill her. She took her blood and poisoned her. She made her kill Boris. She dared to hurt Bendy. And she admitted the truth with no remorse.

As Jordy stewed in her anger, the ink in her right arm spread rapidly, covering it entirely with burning bubbles.

Alice screamed as she fought to break loose from the demon’s grasp, kicking his flat torso and even slapping him with her free hand.

Shaking his head and sighing, Bendy casually tossed Alice against the wall he threw the vial at. He winced and clutched his arm. His muscles were starting to give in again. **_“Damn it…”_ ** He then looked over at Jordy, taking notice of her arm. **_"Kiddo! Your arm!"_ ** He rushed over as fast as he could to her. **_"What's it doing?"_ **

Jordy didn't answer him. She was too consumed by her fury. _All her fault, all her fault!_ she thought repeatedly in her head as more bubbles formed from her arm.

**_"Uh ... kiddo?"_ ** Bendy held out a hand, about to put it on her shoulder.

Jordy's eyes suddenly flared bright yellow. She swiftly grabbed Bendy's hand and knocked him back with immense force. 

Alice groaned as she struggled to get up, annoyed that the Ink Demon effortlessly tossed her. She then looked up to notice Jordy's glowing glare facing her. **_"Oh no..."_ **

**"I'LL KILL YOU!!"** the girl shouted, rushing forward to grab Alice and smother her dismembered face with her ink-covered hand. The Angel screamed in agony as Jordy used her power on her, melting away the remains of her face. 

Jordy didn't care if it hurt her or destroyed her humanity. She just wanted Alice dead.

Bendy was in awe at what was happening before him. He didn't think whatever was affecting Jordy would manifest into something this ... ghastly. **_"Jordy? Um ... you can put her down now..."_ ** He tried to move forward, but the morphine in his system was still affecting him, so he couldn't move too fast. **_"C'mon, you of all people don't wanna do this. Whatever happened to that pacifistic mindset you've been having all this way?"_ **

Jordy's arm began to twitch the more she absorbed Alice's ink. It was starting to take effect on her, but she was still angry. **"She tricked me!!"** she replied in a demonic, bitter tone. **"She made me kill Boris!!"**

After a short while, Bendy made his way to Jordy and grabbed onto the hand that was latched onto Alice. **_"Yeah, and those were the same reasons I wanted to kill her too. But you kept me from doing that. You kept trying to keep me from turning into a mindless monster. I think it's high time I return the favor."_ ** He then used his other hand to shove Alice out of Jordy's grip.

Alice immediately collapsed onto the floor, whimpering in pain as she held her searing face.

**"NO!!"** Jordy shrieked, continuously tugging and kicking to break from Bendy’s grip. **"LET GO OF ME!! LET ME KILL HER!!"**

**_"NO! NOT LIKE THIS!"_ ** Bendy kept Jordy restrained with both arms. **_"This is what she wants you to do! She wants you to give in to whatever the hell she infected you with. Do you want to give her the satisfaction of giving her what she wants?! Do you think Boris wants you to do that?!"_ **

Jordy stopped fighting. The fiery glow in her eyes faded away. She did not answer Bendy’s question. Instead, she drew her gaze to the Angel and then to her hand. The ink was receding into her body, though more prominent signs of the infection lingered. She couldn't believe what she just did. She wasn't a killer. She didn't want to be a killer. Even if Alice deserved to die, it was wrong. Lowering her head in shame, Jordy broke down again.

Bendy slowly got down to his knees, gently bringing Jordy closer to the ground and then unwrapped his arms from her to rest his hands on her shoulders. **_"Don't worry. She'll get what's coming to her. But ... not like this. Not if it means you become like us..."_ **

Jordy shook her head and removed Bendy's hands from her. Then she backed away in fear. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," she sobbed remorsefully.

Bendy hobbled a bit towards her. **_"Jordy, don't..."_ **

Before the girl could do anything else, she was tackled down by a furious Alice Angel. She gripped the girl's neck with one hand, making her look up to her more melted face. **_"Look what you did to me, you little bitch!!"_ ** she screeched. Her other hand held up the knife. **_"I'll make you pay for this!!"_ **

Bendy grabbed Alice’s hand and lifted her back up to his eye level. Then he grabbed her other hand. His tone became a lot more venomous. A lot colder. **_"What did I just say about shutting up...?"_ ** He then lifted a foot and shoved hard against her stomach, still holding her arms tight. With a loud _SNAP_ , she was kicked away towards the wall with Bendy still holding her arms. He then callously tossed her arms aside as he walked towards her.

**_"YAAAAGGGH!!"_ ** Alice shrilled in agony. Her arm sockets were bleeding heavily as she laid there against the wall. Tears streamed down her broken cheeks as she faced the demon. **_"You...you think this will change anything?! You don't even know how ink poisoning works! That girl can't leave the studio...I made sure of that."_ ** She grinned crookedly. **_"And don't even think about trying to find a cure because there isn't one."_ ** She spat at Bendy’s bowtie. **_"I hope you rot in Hell and prepare her a cozy grave!"_ **

**_"Rot in Hell? ... ROT IN HELL?!"_ ** Bendy yanked her halo, pulling her head up and leaving her neck vulnerable. **_"WHERE DO YOU THINK WE'VE BEEN ALL THIS TIME?!"_ ** He then grabbed her neck and crushed it in his hands, another loud _SNAP_ filling the room.

Alice instantly fell silent, her eyes wide open. Ink spurted and dripped from her mouth as her head tilted limply.

Jordy couldn't believe what she just saw. She cringed and held her neck as she stared at Alice's broken one. Now she wasn't sure if she was still scared of herself or Bendy.

Bendy just stood there, his head lowered. He didn't turn to look at Jordy, his gaze still fixated on the floor ahead of him. He was utterly silent. He attempted to limp over to a corner but passed out before he could reach it.

Jordy blinked, noticing that Bendy had collapsed and wasn't moving. "Bendy...?" She waited for his response, hoping he was okay. He didn't move an inch, which worried her and prompted her to run to him. She got on her knees and tried to shake him awake. "Ben? Ben! Come on, wake up! Speak to me!"

Despite her best efforts, Bendy wouldn't get back up. The morphine in his system had finally taken full effect on his body. While far from dead, Bendy was now completely unconscious.

"Bendy! Bendy, please! Say something! Please!" Jordy's pleas brought her back to tears. She needed Bendy to get her back home. She couldn't lose him--didn't want to lose him. Not after what happened to Boris.

"Don't move," a voice from behind told Jordy in a calm but stern manner. "He's not dead. But you will be if you don't get away."

Jordy's breath hitched. She didn't recognize the voice, but the tone in his threat sounded serious. Cautiously, she turned her head to see who the stranger was.

The figure, to her shock, looked exactly like Boris. The only difference was the more pronounced grimace on his face and one of his arms being replaced with a mechanical prosthetic. He was brandishing a pipe against her.

Jordy gasped. "B-Boris?!" She looked back, trying to find the big lifeless body she had slain. It had disappeared. All that remained was a puddle of ink. She looked back at the other wolf. "How is this possible?"

"Boris?" the wolf asked, confused. "Oh, you mean the cartoon. No, my name's Tom. I've been working repairs here for years." Tom looked around. "Tch, looks like I got my work cut out for me now..."

"Oh...sorry," Jordy apologized, feeling a twinge of disappointment. "It's just that I recently lost a friend and I thought..."

As Jordy spoke with her back turned, a figure rose from a puddle of ink. It was a woman who strongly resembled Alice but sported a bounty hunter's outfit, a low ponytail, and some rope that she carried around her shoulder. In her hand was a machete, which she gripped firmly as she slowly approached the unconscious demon.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Tom brushed off. "I understand. But hey, if it helps you feel better, soon your murderer will get what's coming to him."

Jordy was confused. "Huh? What do you mean by--" She turned her head, wondering if Tom was talking about Bendy, only to discover the woman raising her sword, about to strike him. "No, stop!" she screamed, pushing the woman away from him. She was careful to use her left hand this time. "What are you doing?!"

The woman was taken aback. "What does it look like I'm doing? That demon is dangerous! You saw how he killed the Twisted Angel, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, but he did it to save me!"

" _Save_ you?" Tom questioned. "Why would the Ink Demon save you? Didn't you just say he killed your friend?"

"No! I never said that at all! I said I _lost_ a friend, but he didn't kill him. It was--" Jordy stopped herself, not wanting to think about what she had to do to Boris. "Someone else."

"Right...so what's the deal with you two? Why are you so hellbent about us sparing him?"

"Because he's my friend!" Jordy replied harshly. She realized her tone of voice and sighed, bringing her hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry...today hasn't been a good day for me."

"We can tell," the woman bluntly stated. She looked back at the demon and sighed. "Listen, I understand if he's your friend, but the Ink Demon can't be trusted. This isn't the first time he's killed someone and we can't risk facing him once he wakes up."

"But we can't just leave him here! I need him to get back upstairs and I don't want to be separated from him again. He needs help."

Tom paused, feeling reluctant about the girl's plea. After a moment of pondering, he sighed. "Look, how about we talk about this back at the hideout?" he suggested, walking over to look over the Ink Demon. "We can carry this big guy with us, but we're putting him in the cell."

The woman was surprised by Tom's suggestion, not expecting him of all people to want the Ink Demon in their hideout. Nevertheless, she immediately agreed. "Well, as long as he's bound, then sure," she said, taking the rope off her shoulder and using it to bound Bendy's wrists together.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Jordy said gratefully. "I promise, we won't give you trouble."

"Well, we'll hold you to that, lil missy..." Tom replied as he helped the woman tie up Bendy and carry him as they made their way out of the room.

The woman grunted as she and Tom held onto Bendy. Though he was skinny, his size made him quite heavy. "I swear, we'll be needing a chiropractor after this," the woman remarked jokingly.

“Oh, hush, Al,” Tom lightly jabbed.

Meanwhile, Jordy remained behind them. Worry crept over her face as she kept her eyes on Bendy. “Please hang in there, Ben…” she pleaded softly, holding onto his gloved hand. She hoped that he would wake up by the time they'd get back to the hideout. After what the two went through, they would need some time to heal.

And some time to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the Chapter 4 section of this story!
> 
> I'm going to be taking another hiatus from this to focus on other things, but I want to thank you all so much for the support thus far.


	27. Jordy's Audio Log (Intermission)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While my partner and I begin planning out the last sections of this story, here's a little audio log I wrote out for Jordy.
> 
> If you'd like to hear what she sounds like, copy/paste the audio link here:  
> https://beyond-the-ebony-depths.tumblr.com/post/625814797974372352/while-my-partner-and-i-begin-planning-out-the-last

H-hello. For those who are listening, my name is Jordan. Or, Jordy, as my friends call me. I haven’t done this before, but my new friends gave me this audio recorder in case I wanted to get my thoughts out, so I might as well take advantage of it.

I don’t know how long I’ve been down here in Joey Drew Studios. It’s probably been a few days, but I can’t say for sure. A lot’s happened so fast that I lost track of time.

I received a flier from Drew himself, inviting me to his ‘animation workshop.’ But it was all a lie. His real intention was to lure me into a death trap. Had it not been for Bendy, I wouldn’t have made it out alive.

But my curiosity and pity for him brought me back. And I put myself in a lot of danger since then. First I was kidnapped by a madman who wanted to sacrifice me. Not fun. Then I was forced to work for a psychotic angel that was keeping a friend of ours as leverage. She then sabotaged us and nearly had me killed, both in an elevator and from an ink creature that bit my arm.

Now thanks to her, I have ink poisoning. Al told me it’s a condition that turns a human into an ink creature and gives them a deadly power. A power that I used on the Angel herself.

I...I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to. But she lied to me and turned Boris into a monster, even made me kill him. I was so angry that something in me broke. And I went straight for the slaughter. 

Bendy managed to stop me from doing something I would regret, only to end up killing her instead. I knew he wanted to since the beginning, but the moment I saw him do it…it frightened me.

Now he’s unconscious and locked up in a cell. Al and Tom did it as a precaution, but I still feel bad for him despite what happened.

This is all my fault…had I just listened to him and left instead of acting so impulsive, none of this would’ve happened. Boris would still be alive. Bendy wouldn’t be lying in that cot with his hands behind his back. And I wouldn’t be here waiting for my demise.

I’m so scared…I don’t know what’s going to happen to me now. I don’t want to die because of my mistakes. I don’t want anyone else to die because of my mistakes.

I want to go home. I want to see my friends and family again. I want to tell them I’m sorry.

I...I want to tell Bendy I’m sorry.


	28. Awkward Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back and ready to begin the Chapter 5 section of this story!
> 
> Again, there will be creative liberties here and there for the sake of pacing and each update will be sporadic. Regardless, we hope you enjoy reading this chapter and more to come!

Bendy stirred, finally waking up from his coma. He slowly raised himself from the cot he was laying on, his head still fuzzy. Once he regained his bearings, he noticed that he was in some kind of makeshift cell. Unlike the one he used to dwell in, this one had a gap in the center. Most likely for whenever his captors wanted to feed him. He instinctively tried to reach out for the gap but noticed his hands were tied behind his back. **_"Feh ... I hate cages..."_ ** he muttered to himself, still semi-groggy from the formula injected into him.

Meanwhile, Al stood in front of a wall, a brush of ink in her hand. She was inscribing little messages underneath a giant 'Hope,' the O shining like a halo. Upon hearing the Ink Demon's voice, she turned her head to his cell. "Oh, you're awake," she said, putting her brush down. "You were unconscious for hours. I almost didn’t think you’d make it.” She slowly approached him, keeping her sheathed machete close to her. “Hope you don't mind the cell. Or the restraints. It's just for safety reasons."

Bendy suddenly snapped once he got a good look at Al. **_"YOU!"_ ** He then began bashing the cell door with his shoulder. **_"WHY CAN'T YOU STAY DEAD?!"_ **

Al remained calm. “Relax, buddy. I'm not the Alice you faced. We were asked to bring you here unharmed. You should consider yourself lucky.” She drew her sword and pointed it to the demon. "Though if you try to do anything hostile, Tom and I will not hesitate to fight you."

Bendy growled as he sat back down on his cot. **_"So, who asked you to bring me here?"_ **

"It was your little friend, Jordy," Tom answered as he entered the room. "She practically begged us to save you. Not gonna lie, I thought it was a bit odd. But I guess since the Angel is dead, that's one less threat to worry about. So ... we owe you at least that."

"You guys talking about me?" a small, timid voice asked from across the room. Jordy had just come out of the shower, her dark hair damp and her skin filled with goosebumps from the cold water. She wasn't wearing her cat ears or her usual clothing. Instead, all she had was a men's sized dress shirt that reached down to her knees as makeshift pajamas. She was rubbing her arms to keep warm. "H-hi, Bendy."

Bendy wasn't sure how to respond. He wasn't sure if he _should_ respond. The last thing he remembered before passing out was killing the Angel. And he knew that despite everything she put them through, Jordy didn't want it to come to that. He hung his head low and remained motionless.

"Um, I think that formuler the Angel got into him hasn't worn off yet..." Tom said, trying to comfort Jordy.

Jordy frowned but tried her best to keep her voice steady. "Ah...r-right." She had been waiting for Bendy to wake up since Al and Tom helped her bring him in. At the same time, she was hesitant to say anything to him. Ever since she lost control and almost melted Alice down to a puddle, she felt ashamed. Even more so than after he killed Alice in her place. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was her fault that he was like this. She wanted to apologize to him, to make up with him for the fight they had and get him out of that cell. But she couldn't. “I’ll just…” she muttered, turning the other way to go to her side of the room.

Al could sense the awkwardness between Bendy and Jordy. They had both been through so much and it was too soon for them to speak to each other. She couldn't help but feel bad for the poor girl at least. "Yeah, uh, I think maybe you should give him a bit to recover,” she said, putting her machete back into its scabbard. “He'll come through when he's ready. You try to keep warm, okay?" She then stood next to Tom and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Tom, how about you and I step out for a bit and talk?"

"Oh, uh, sure thing, Al," Tom responded, as he went to follow Al. He turned back for a moment to see Jordy and Bendy and then turned back to leave.

Jordy watched as Al and Tom exited the safe house. It was a little odd the way they responded to her, but she tried not to pay much mind as she sat down on her cot, pulling up the blanket for warmth. For once, she was glad that she was in a corner where she couldn’t see Bendy. Doing so would result in another nervous breakdown.

Once Al and Tom were alone outside their door, the angelic woman sighed. "I don't like this. Not just the Ink Demon being in our home, but this whole thing that girl supposedly has with him. It doesn't feel right."

"I know, Al," Tom replied. "But we can't just leave the girl all by her lonesome, and dragging that demon here was the only way she'd agree to come with us." He turned his head towards the door. "Plus ... you and I both know what a lying snake Joey is. Maybe ... that stuff about the Ink Demon might not be as true as we think..."

Al was genuinely surprised by Tom's statement. For the longest time, they both believed that the Ink Demon was a threat, especially after how much destruction he had caused. Then again, she recalled how spiteful and malicious Joey Drew was. How he fired Tom and stole his machine from him to create more soulless cartoons for his twisted amusement. It disgusted her thinking about it. "So what do you suppose we do?" she asked. "We play therapy with them?”

"Reckon, so," Tom agreed. "But it might be better if one of us talked to the other for the sake of less awkwardness.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more.”

Tom nodded. “So, who do you wanna help?"

"Normally I'd volunteer for Jordy, but since I'll be heading out, and I know you and the Ink Demon won't get along, you'll have you take my place."

"Sounds good. Just be careful out there, okay?"

"I always am," Al said with a smile. Withdrawing her machete once more, she headed down the dark corridor, leaving Tom and the safe house behind.


	29. Pep Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small disclaimer: in this chapter, Bendy addresses Twisted Alice as Susie, which I know wasn't mentioned beforehand, but I went back to Chapter 26 to add in that continuity. Apologies in advance if that threw any of you off.

Tom entered back into the safehouse, letting the door shut behind him. He saw Jordy still sitting on her cot and walked up to her. "Hey, um, mind if I sit alongside ya?" he asked.

Jordy looked up from her sketchbook when she heard Tom's voice. She had her earbuds in to listen to music on her phone to get her motivated. With a sigh, she paused her song, put her pencil down, and placed the sketchbook face-down on her lap. "Sure, I guess."

Tom then calmly sat down next to her. He tried his best to be gentle with talking to her. Given what all she’d been through, he wasn't sure what would set her off. "So, uh ... whatcha drawing there?"

Jordy clutched her book to her chest. "Oh, uh...just some doodles," she replied sheepishly.

Tom realized she probably didn't want to share the doodles, so he dropped the subject. "Oh. That's nice." He turned away to try and figure out what to talk about next. "So ... how long have you wanted to be an animator?"

"Since I graduated high school. I did some research on this movie director I like and finding out he was an animator first inspired me to become one, too." Jordy let out a sigh and looked down at her right hand. "But I don't think it's going to work out for me in the end."

Tom took a moment to examine the arm. "Well ... you probably would get sick of it anyway. All that drawin' would cramp yer wrists. And working fer a director as picky as Joey would certainly drive you up the wall. I mean, jus' take me for example." He gestured to himself. "I was a repairman fer the studio. Fixing up anythin' that went belly up. But it ain't easy when you have Joey breathin' down yer neck about it. If he wanted these repairs done a particular way, he might as well do them himself, all I can say."

Jordy turned to look at Tom. It was interesting seeing him as a Boris clone with a mechanical arm and knowing that he still had memories of his past. It piqued her curiosity. "So, you remember who you were back when you were human? What about Al? Does she remember?"

Tom lowered his head, his new Boris ears drooping. "...No. She doesn't remember anything. And ... sometimes I wonder if that's a good thing for her..."

Jordy noticed the sad expression on his face, immediately putting two-and-two together. "Are you...in love with her?" she asked cautiously.

"Well ... was." Tom rubbed the back of his neck. "We used to date back when we worked here. Hell, we even got married. Before Joey ... I still don't know why she doesn't remember but I do ... unless Joey did it because he knew it'd piss me off..."

"I'm sorry..." Jordy felt bad for Tom at this point. She imagined it was torture for him to hold onto those memories of him and Al when she didn't have them as well. She wouldn't want anyone to go through that. She shook her head and sighed. "At least you two still have each other. I'm not sure if Bendy wants to take me home now. Hell, or if he even wants to talk to me." Her voice croaked at the last sentence, trying to fight back tears.

"Yeah ... about that..." Tom then turned to Jordy. "I'm not gonna mince words, kiddo. Your friend over there has this kind of reputation for a reason. He's another one of Joey's messes ruining the lives of everyone he's stepped on. But you? You ... actually trust him." He then puts a hand on her shoulder. "So I wanna hear it in your words. And don't go fluffing things up, I want the truth ... Why _did_ you go back for him? Why _do_ you still stick with him?"

Jordy didn't know how to explain to Tom without going into full detail. But she tried her best. "I...I guess I just grew fond of him," she said. "He looked cool. I liked how much humanity he still had in him despite others saying he was a monster. And he proved that by sticking by me and willing to take me home. And I just..." She sighed, averting her gaze with embarrassment. "I just wanted to get to know him better so he wouldn't feel alone and hoped he would like me, too." Her cheeks flushed as she caught herself. "A-as a friend, of course."

Tom responded with a befuddled look. He never thought he'd ever heard anyone say such flattering things about Bendy. "Well, I hope he was worth all the hell you've been through. I’ve never seen anyone be so passionate about a complete stranger before."

Jordy couldn't help but laugh nervously. "Neither did I, honestly." She paused, looking over at Bendy's cell. It made her feel guilty just seeing the barricade alone. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?" she asked, turning back to Tom.

"Well, you know him better than anyone else in this studio," Tom replied. "What do you think?"

Jordy sighed. "I know I should think he would, but...I'm having my doubts. It's my fault he's in there. Had I not gone so far to try to destroy Alice, I..." A sob escaped her throat. It was too painful for her to remember what she almost did. And how much Hell she must've put Bendy through, too. "I just don't want him to hate me for staying!!"

Tom then began gently patting Jordy on the back. "I'm sure he's grateful for how fiercely you stuck with him. He just don't know how to express it since you're probably the only real friend he's had."

Jordy immediately embraced Tom, balling her right hand into a fist to avoid touching him. She hoped that he was right. That she could gather the courage she needed to talk to Bendy and say she was sorry.

Tom returned the embrace and resumed patting her back. "You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit, kid." After a moment, he pulled away, and playfully rubbed her head. "I'm sure you two will find a way out."

Jordy sniffled, trying to steady her breathing, but it was tough when her nose was clogged. Nevertheless, she wiped her tears and attempted to smile. "Thank you, Tom...thank you for being here."

"Well, I figured after what you've been through, you deserved to have someone a bit friendlier helping ya out."

"I appreciate it." Jordy looked back down at the sketchbook on her lap. She decided to pick it up. "Also, don't tell Bendy I did this, but..." She held out the sketchbook to Tom, showing him a doodle she made of Bendy wearing a suit and tie.

Tom let out a snort, trying to repress his laughter. "He don't look half bad in a suit," he said, to see if the reaction would get a response from her. "I'm sure he'd love it."

"Shhh!" Jordy immediately closed her book, trying to hold back a giggle. "Don't say it out loud!"

"Aw alright, I won't." Tom stood up. "But you should, once he wakes up." He then moved back to a nearby seat adjacent from Bendy, so he could keep an eye on him and the exit as well.

Jordy took one more good look at Tom before facing the cell again. It was quiet and she could barely see Bendy under all the shadow. If he was asleep like Tom said, he probably didn't hear much of their conversation.

Though a part of her did wonder what he was thinking.

* * *

A short while later, Bendy was stirred out of his sleep by a peculiar aroma. He raised his head so he can see where the source of the smell came from.

"Hey," Al said, standing by the barricade's window. There was a bowl of bacon soup waiting for Bendy on the wooden platform. "You must be hungry."

Bendy slowly got off his cot and limbered towards the opening. **_"You ever get tired of eating this canned slog? I know the kid does."_ **

"Well, it's not like we have anything else to eat here." Al chuckled. Then she turned her head over to Jordy's side of the room. The girl had already fallen asleep, wrapping her blanket around her for warmth. Al couldn't help but take pity on her. "So, you and that girl...care to tell me how she ended up with you?"

Bendy looked over at Jordy and let out a sigh. **_"She told me she felt sorry for me ... that she wanted to be my friend. And I guess I was so important to her that it was worth risking her life to do that."_ ** He opened his mouth wide and engulfed the whole bowl of bacon soup, bowl included. **_"And now because of her pity for me, she's stuck in this hellhole."_ **

Al was taken aback by Bendy's sudden action but quickly got over it once he mentioned Jordy. "I see. She did explain what happened after we brought you here. About how you both lost your friend, how much her ink poisoning made her lose control ... I'm sorry you had to go through that."

**_"Hey, save those apologies for her, not me,"_ ** Bendy said, a bit more snippy. **_"I can handle all the crap Joey and this studio can throw at me. But Jordy ... she doesn't deserve to be here..."_ **

Al became speechless by Bendy's response. It genuinely surprised her to see the Ink Demon capable of such emotion, especially for Jordy. Perhaps Tom was right about him after all. "You care about her, don't you?"

Bendy slumped down onto the opening. **_"...She's a good kid. And she's the only person I've met who ain't afraid of me. Who actually wants to be my friend."_ ** He took another glance at Jordy. **_"Not quite sure if she still wants to, though..."_ **

Al could tell what Bendy was thinking. Because he had murdered Alice in front of Jordy, he assumed she was afraid and disgusted by him. Al could understand and sympathize with that. "Well, considering she begged us to bring you here after you fell unconscious, I think she might have it in her heart to forgive you. But you won't know for sure unless you talk to her."

**_"Actually that leads me to my own question,"_ ** he said, changing the subject. **_"How did YOU get down here? Did you use to work for the studio too?"_ **

Al hesitated, not knowing how to answer. "I...I honestly don't know," she replied truthfully. "I mean, I know Tom used to work for Joey as a repairman, but...I don't remember anything about my past life. Not even my name. So, that's why everyone calls me Alice...but I'm definitely no Angel."

Bendy's curiosity peaked a bit. **_"So, what was the earliest thing you remember?"_ **

Al thought long and hard at this question. "I guess...I remember singing. I can't place where or why...but it was a tune that everyone knew and loved. They loved my voice, how I performed, and...it just felt nice to have that recognition."

Bendy had a theory about this ‘Al’ and decided to see if he could help her. **_"...Did it go something like this?"_ ** He then began whistling a melody. Specifically, the melody that Alice Angel sang when he and Jordy first met the Twisted Alice.

Al listened carefully to the tune, humming it along with Bendy's whistle before forming it into words. "...I got a bright little halo and I'm filled with love...I'm Alice Angel!" 

The moment she sang that last line, it suddenly clicked into her brain. It was the song she sang for everyone at the studio. The one that made her smile. The one that pleased _him_ and granted her the role of the Angel.

Al's head started hurting as flashes of darker visions came. Getting fired, being tortured, seeing the sadistic look on Joey Drew's face. She gripped her skull and groaned in pain as she fell to her knees. "S-stop!" she begged. "No more! Please, no more!!"

Bendy stopped his whistling once he saw Al in agony. **_"You were that other girl. The one that replaced Susie,"_ ** he started. **_"And I'm guessing whatever Joey did to you, he also did to Tom too."_ **

"I said that's enough!!" Al screamed, slamming her fist onto the wood. She breathed heavily as she struggled to keep her composure. It was clear that the memory she had locked away was one she wasn't ready to unlock yet. Nevertheless, she realized her reaction and let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing her hand on her forehead. "I'm sorry...I just...I don't want to talk about this anymore. Please respect that."

As he was returning to the safehouse from his shift of keeping a lookout, Tom heard Al yelling and ran in to investigate. "Al, are you alright?!" He saw Bendy slowly walk back to his cot. Then he saw Al on the floor. "Wha-What happened?"

Al stood up slowly. "I-It's nothing, Tom," she answered bluntly. "I'm fine."

Tom was still concerned, but he knew better than to pry. "O-Okay, as long as you're sure." He looked over at Bendy, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Trust me, I'm sure." Al took one last look at Bendy, glaring at him. "Best that you go back to sleep, Ink Demon. We'll figure out a way to get your friend back home tomorrow." Soon she walked away from Bendy’s cell and headed over to her side of the safehouse.

Once she left, Tom turned back to Bendy. "What the Sam Hill did you do?"

**_"I ... I think I helped her regain her memory,"_** Bendy explained. ** _"Of who she really was."_**

Tom took a moment of pause to contemplate the situation. After some silence, he proceeded to sit down on his stool. "Well, you heard Al. Get some shut-eye."

**_"Sure…”_ ** Bendy slinked onto his cot and curled up into a sleeping position. He took one more good look at Jordy before falling asleep, hoping she would be alright.


	30. Closure

In the darkness of the safe house, Jordy struggled to find peace in her sleep. Visions of Boris's death and the Angel being absorbed by her kept playing over in her head. It was painful to watch and imagine how the scenarios could've been prevented.

Before she knew it, Jordy felt herself being pulled back by an unknown force, sinking her into the abyss. She reached out for someone to grab her hand and pull her out. But she couldn't breathe in the viscous liquid to cry for help.

Just when she thought she would fade into the black ocean, a familiar gloved hand dove in and grabbed hers, pulling her out. Jordy gasped for air, coughing out the ink. She crawled on her hands and knees to regain her composure. Once she was able to breathe, she took off her glasses and wiped the ink away. "Oh...th-thank you," she said. After putting her glasses back on, she turned her head to take a good look at her savior. It was Bendy. However, he didn't acknowledge her. He merely just stood there. Motionless. Almost mindless.

That blank stare concerned Jordy. "...Ben? Wh-what's wrong?"

With almost inhuman speed, Bendy grabbed Jordy by the throat and pinned her to the wall. His expression remained emotionless as if he was an ink-covered android.

Jordy was startled by Bendy's abrupt movement. "B-Bendy!" she choked, struggling to breathe in his grasp. She tried to pry his hand away with hers. "Wh-what are you doing?!"

_"He's merely being what he is..."_ A disembodied voice echoed the room, with a disgustingly condescending tone in it. And just as the voice left, Bendy then thrust his fist towards Jordy's stomach, intending to punch a hole through her…

* * *

Jordy screamed as she briskly sat up from her cot. It was dark again with nothing but empty silence. Jordy reached over to light a candle to help her see. She was sweating, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest. She even looked down to examine her stomach to make sure it was still whole. What she dreamt felt so real, unlike any nightmare she ever faced.

Jordy looked over to see if Tom or Al were still awake. They were still snoozing in their own cots. It surprised her that they didn't hear her scream.

Then she glanced over to Bendy's cell. The shadows still concealed his form from a distance. Gathering up her courage, she approached it with the candle in her hand and a blanket wrapped around her. Instead of looking through the cell's opening, she simply sat down on the floor next to the cell and curled herself up.

Bendy woke up from the scream and pulled his head up to inspect the noise. He was surprised that it didn't wake up Tom or Al but was even more surprised when he then spotted Jordy sitting down next to his cell. He felt that enough time had passed to where he could try to talk to her, so he slowly got up and walked towards her. **_"What happened?"_ **

Jordy gasped, startled to hear the demon's voice. "Bendy!" she whispered, trying to keep her voice down. "I-I didn't know you were still awake."

**_"Well, I am now,"_** Bendy replied, now sitting down next to her. **_"Nightmare?"_**

Jordy hesitated, not knowing what to tell Bendy or what his reaction to him being in her nightmare would be. After a moment, she sighed, nodding her head. "It was awful..."

Silence filled the air. **_"You uh ... wanna talk about it? Or about ... anything?"_ **

Before Jordy could respond, her voice broke into a sob.

Bendy was startled by her sudden burst of tears. He was tempted to embrace her but remembered his hands were still restrained. So he took a moment to catch his breath and contorted his arms to turn above his head. Then he used his horns to cut his hands free. After he freed his hands, he pulled them back down and then put one hand on Jordy’s shoulder.

Jordy leaned her head against the wired fence of the cell as she sobbed. "I-I'm sorry! I’m sorry!"

**_"No ... I'M sorry,”_ ** Bendy replied. **_“I'm just ... not sure about having friends. I pushed my luck, and pushed you away..."_ **

Jordy shook her head. "This is all my fault!” she cried. “I never should've come here! I should've listened to you and gone home like you said! I hate that I was being stupid and impulsive! I hate that I nearly got myself killed! I hate that I got ink poisoning! I hate that I'm stuck here with no way out! I...I-I hate that we fought and got separated and I keep thinking you're mad at me for it!" She clutched onto the wired frame. "I'll never get out of here ... I'll never see my family again. I'll never get to fulfill my dream career. I'll never get to watch my niece grow up. I'm going to die in this hellhole and it'll be my fault..."

Bendy slowly withdrew his hand, letting the silence take over. It hurt him to see Jordy like this. It hurt him to hear her say those awful things about herself. It hurt him that she was giving up and losing that spark she held onto during their journey. It especially hurt him that he didn't do anything to help her feel better when she needed him because he didn't know how to handle emotions.

He wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

Bendy grabbed the wires and slowly and quietly pulled them apart enough for him to go through and embrace Jordy. He laid his head on hers and began crying himself.

Jordy paused, surprised to hear Bendy weep for the first time. Whatever emotions he kept bottled inside, he seemed to be finally letting out. She returned his embrace, wrapping her arms around him. "Can you ever forgive me?" she asked.

**_"Only if you can forgive me..."_** Bendy’s voice was starting to crack from the pent up emotion. He cried again. **_"Why am I like this?! I didn't ask to be made! I didn't ask for that bastard Drew to lock me away and treat me like some kind of mangy animal!"_** He held Jordy tighter, but not too tight to the point of hurting her.

"Shh ... i-it's okay," Jordy hushed softly, rubbing his upper back. "I'm here for you, Ben. I promise." She gently pulled away from Bendy's embrace, using her thumb to dry his ink-stained tears. "I know you didn't ask to be brought to life. But I'm glad you were. I'm glad you're alive, that you're learning new things, and that you're risking your life to help me get out. It's more than I can ever repay..."

Bendy began sniffling as Jordy wiped his tears away. **_"I ... I ... I don't want to see you get killed..."_ **

"Aww..." More tears filled Jordy's eyes, but she was smiling. She was touched that Bendy cared for her this much and was showing it. Wanting to help him feel better, she brought her hand closer to his face. The ink began to slowly disintegrate with her touch and she drew her hand back in shock. Only then did she notice that Bendy wasn't melting. "What?" she said looking down at her hand.

Bendy was still trying to calm down, but he saw what happened and brought his fingers to his face. Not even a scratch or a wrinkle. **_"That's ... n-new,"_ **he muttered.

Jordy wasn't sure why the ink poisoning wasn't affecting him like all the others. It confused and intrigued her at the same time. She lifted her hand once more, bringing it right below his eye. "Hey...would it be alright if I saw what was underneath?" she asked.

After Bendy took a moment to calm down, he nodded his head.

With his permission granted, Jordy gently brushed away the ink from his face, allowing it to absorb into her hand. It didn’t hurt this time. Instead, it felt soothing. After allowing herself to take a breath, the ink vanished and Bendy’s eyes were revealed to her. "Whoa..." she said, surprised by what she saw.

Bendy’s eyes didn't quite look like how they'd usually look in the cartoons. Instead, they were white with equally white irises. His pupil was dilated from being covered in the ink. And there was a slight sepia shade across them, presumably from the crying he did. **_"H-Heh, they ain't what you were expecting?"_ **

"No, but...I like them," Jordy said, bringing her hand closer to his eye. "They're different."

Bendy took one of his hands and held hers, smiling. **_"Thanks..."_ **

Jordy smiled back. This was the Bendy she knew, the Bendy that stuck by her the whole journey through. For once, she was glad that her new power did some good.

Their moment was soon ruined by another voice behind Jordy. "I think it offsets your ink very nicely," Tom said in an innocently teasing manner.

Jordy swiftly turned her head. "T-Tom!" Her cheeks grew red with embarrassment.

Al followed behind Tom, stretching as she yawned. "You two sure know how to wake people up in the middle of the night."

"Sorry..."

"D'aww, now come on, Al," Tom said. "Nothing wrong with a little reconciling."

Bendy stood up from his embrace with Jordy. **_"Yeah. Besides, you're one to talk after that little panic from earlier..."_ **

"Let's not dwell on that, Ink Demon," Al said, putting her hand up. "What's important is now that you two finally have closure, and you seem to have your strength back, we can focus on getting back to sleep so we can move forward tomorrow."

"You mean...he’s coming with us?" Jordy asked, feeling hopeful.

"Perhaps. Though he did tear open our cell, I think he's finally earned our trust." Al looked up to Bendy, giving him a smile of approval. “Good job.”

Bendy blinked in flattery. **_"Uh, thanks. And, uh, sorry about that."_ ** Bendy pointed to the hole. **_"I was just trying to comfort Jordy..."_ **

"Don't dwell too much on it," Tom said. "Let's just worry about sleeping."

"Right." Jordy stood up, picking up her blanket and candle before walking over to Al and Tom. She turned to Bendy once more, waving her hand. "Goodnight, Bendy."

**_"G'night, kid,"_ ** Bendy replied as he went back to his cage and laid down on his cot.

"And this time, try not to be so loud," Tom said.

"Please," Al added. She looked over at Jordy as she got herself back into her cot. The woman smiled, then followed Tom back to their side of the room to get some sleep.

Jordy was glad that things worked out for her and Bendy in the end. And she felt much more confident about herself than she did before. Hopefully, by morning they all would be able to move forward and leave the safe house.


	31. Get Out Of My Head

After some time had passed, Bendy woke up from his slumber. He was still a bit sore from the other night, but he didn't want to let that stop him. He slowly got off his cot and walked through the opening of his cell that he made.

"Well, look who's awake," Tom said, greeting Bendy as he woke.

"About time," Al joked, gathering supplies from the other room. She had an extra set of rope around her shoulder and her machete remained secure in its scabbard.

Even Jordy was awake, all dressed up and packed with her own necessities for their journey. She even took the time to charge her phone since there was an outlet by her cot. "Ready to go when you three are," she said, clutching her purse.

**_"So, what's on the docket for today's little---"_ ** Bendy stumbled a bit, but was quick to regain his composure. **_"Ahem ... outing?"_ **

“We’ll be going through the tunnel to get to the dock,” Al said. “From there, we’ll take a barge through the river of ink to make our way over to the Lost Village. But be careful. There’s said to be a monster in the river and if we stall for too long, it’ll drown us into the ink.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Tom asked, grabbing his pipe from his lookout chair. “Let’s get going.”

Al nodded, grabbing the keys from the kitchen table and using them to unlock the safe house door.

As she did so, Jordy noticed that Bendy seemed a little off balance. "Are you okay?" she asked him with concern.

**_"Y-Yeah, yeah I'm fine,_ ** " Bendy responded, still trying to put on a brave face. **_"Guess I'm still just a bit sleepy."_ **

"Well you better wake yourself up, Ink Dem--er, I mean Bendy," Tom said, trying to be more polite. "We have quite a day ahead of us."

"Indeed we do," Al agreed as she opened the door. She gestured to the opening with her hand, pointing the way out. "Ladies first."

Jordy nodded and went outside before everyone else did. Al soon followed, tossing the keys over to Tom.

As the two ladies left, Tom caught the keys with his mechanical hand and stepped aside to let Bendy go ahead of him. "Don't worry, Bendy. I'll stay in the rear and keep an eye on your back."

**_"Yeah ... uh-huh,"_ ** Bendy replied as he went through the door.

Tom raised an eyebrow with skepticism. "Um, are you sure you're alright?"

**_"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."_ **

Tom chose not to respond again as he locked the door and proceeded to follow Bendy.

Soon, the four embarked on their journey through the cavern. Al held up an oil lamp to pierce through the darkness. It was quiet, yet eerie. She kept her guard up in case any Searchers or other ink creatures came to stop them.

Jordy remained behind Al but looked behind her to check up on Bendy. She wanted to believe that he was okay, but something about his movements and expression seemed otherwise.

Bendy followed behind, still trying to look fine, but there was something in his head that was making him feel hazy. He couldn't figure out what, but didn't want it to keep his distracted.

Tom was at the rear of the line, equally concerned about Bendy, but knew better than to say anything.

_"Bendy..."_ a voice whispered inside the Ink Demon's head. It sounded elderly, yet unnerving.

Bendy instinctively swatted a hand around where his ear would be, and kept trying to ignore the voice as he proceeded down the hall.

_"Bendy,"_ the voice called out again, more stern. _"Stop ignoring me. You know you want to listen.”_

**_"No, I don't,"_ ** Bendy muttered.

"Did you say something?" Tom asked.

**_"Huh? Ah no no, I was just ... clearing my throat..."_ **

As the gang took a few more steps, the light at the end of the tunnel was approaching. "We should be getting closer to the docks soon," Al said, continuing to lead the way.

The voice inside Bendy’s head continued to mock him. _"Did you forget what Alice injected in you?_ _She may have invented the formula, but I'm the one in control. If you won't obey me, I will take matters into my own hands."_

**_“Don’t you dare!”_ **Bendy hissed, not realizing the volume of his voice.

Jordy stopped walking and looked at Bendy. She didn’t know who he was talking to or what was happening with him, but it was making her feel apprehensive. "Bendy, what's going on?"

_"You know you can't lie to her, Bendy. If you want the girl to live, you'll do as I say."_

**_"I ... I guess I'm just hungry, and it's making my mind act weird,_ **" Bendy said, trying to cover up what's going on in his head.

"Don't f___ing lie to me!" Jordy cursed angrily, not buying his act.

"Hey, keep it down," Al said irritably. "You want the Searchers to find us?!"

_“You’re only making a fool of yourself, boy. I will give you one more chance to walk away and listen before I make you rip out that girl’s heart and crush it in your hands. What will it be?”_

Bendy was fed up by the voice’s constant nagging that he unintentionally roared at Jordy’s face. **_"I’M NOT LYING!!"_ ** He then ran through an ink portal to the other side of the wall, trying to find a moment's peace to deal with what's in his head.

An awkward silence filled the air until it was broken by Tom. "Uh ... I'm sure he'll catch up with us later. We should probably keep going..."

Jordy couldn't believe what just happened. Part of her was feeling horrible and wanted to go after him to apologize.

Al put a hand on Jordy’s shoulder. "Let him go. I'm sure whatever's going on, he can take care of it himself."

Jordy hesitated. Bendy promised her he wouldn't leave her again, not after what happened with Boris and her arm. But she needed to put her trust in Al and Tom that they would take care of her. With a sigh of defeat, she complied and followed them over to the dock.

Meanwhile, in another part of the studio, Bendy laid down on the floor gripping onto his head. **_"Why can't you just let me have a single second of relief? One second where I don't have to worry about you and the monster you want me to be?!"_ **

_"Because I'm your creator, Bendy,"_ said the voice menacingly. _"I gave you life and brought you out of the Ink Machine so you could live freely among us. Too bad Tom failed to actually shape your form into the Devil Darling you were supposed to be..."_

**_"Yeah, well Tom wasn't the one who treated me like some kind of mindless abomination! Tom wasn't the one who locked me in a cage and made me feel like I didn't deserve to live! And it sure as hell wasn't Tom who tortured me all those years just because I didn't turn into the cash cow YOU wanted me to be!"_ **

_"Yelling at me won't get me out of your head, boy. I didn't drag you away from your friends to argue with you."_ The voice grew calmer, yet sinister. _"I want to make a deal with you."_

**_"No!"_ ** Bendy got up onto his feet. **_"This is the last time I have ANYTHING to do with you! I finally have a friend, and we're going to leave this hellhole of a studio. And I'm gonna make even more friends, get more love than you could ever hope to get. I might not be perfect. I might be some kind of disfigured caricature with anger issues. But I ain’t a monster like you..."_ **

The voice laughed. _"You say that as if society will EVER accept you. I mean look at you. You're a walking freak of nature made of ink. How do you think people will react to your visage? How will you even survive? Without my ink, you won't be able to last a day outside of the studio."_ The voice paused to take a breath. _"And besides...doesn't your friend have ink poisoning? How is SHE going to get out without putting herself at more risk of becoming an ink creature? How will her FAMILY react if she does make it out?"_

Bendy remained silent as he pondered. He never did take into account Jordy’s ink poisoning. So far, using her power corrupted her. One more slip-up could potentially lead her to death. He didn’t know what would happen if they couldn’t get rid of it. Even Alice claimed that there was no cure for it. He didn’t want to believe her. He _wouldn’t_ believe her. He had hope. **_"We ... she and the others can figure that out on the way. And if you excuse me, I'm going to get back to them."_ ** Bendy summoned an ink portal, but before stepping through it, he felt the need to let out some last words. **_"It must really bother you, don't it? How this 'freak of nature' somehow managed to find SOME love and acceptance. All without your help. You just can't do anything right, can you Joey? Your studio's in shambles, your amusement park went belly up, your co-workers despise you, and you can't accept the fact that you're a shriveled old has-been who refuses to give up or let anyone help you. You think that if you can't be happy, no one else can. Well, guess what? I AM happy. And I didn't need your help getting there, and I don't need your help finding my way."_ ** With those last words spoken, he went through the portal, leaving the room empty.

Or so he thought.

Deep in the shadows, a man in the wheelchair revealed himself. His slick gray hair resembled ash and he wore a complimentary suit and tie. His wrinkles furrowed upon seeing Bendy leave. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he muttered to himself. "I didn't drag myself here to watch you get whisked away by that girl, making you think you'll get a 'happy ending.' Tsk. You need to be put in your place." He reached into his coat and took out a flat disc with a demonic symbol carved into it. "Your will is strong, Bendy. But I hold the key to it. And I'll make sure that girl is out of the way once I'm done with you..." With a wicked grin on his face, the man waved his hand over the symbol and it glowed blood red.


	32. Voyage Into Darkness

After some time had passed, everyone had arrived at the barge. As they prepared to board the boat, Bendy emerged from his ink portal onto the dock. **_"Um ...hey there …”_ ** he greeted the others. “ **_Sorry about earlier. I just had to clear my head."_ **

"Well, as long as you're fine now," Al said, taking charge of the controls. “Hop on. We’ve got a bit of a voyage ahead of us.”

Bendy nodded and stepped inside the barge, making sure there was enough room for Jordy and Tom as well.

Tom turned to Al, saluting her. “Ready to go, Captain!”

"Alright. Grab onto something, everybody." With a pull of the throttle, the barge ignited and set forward across the inky river.

As they sailed, Jordy remained next to Bendy, keeping one hand clutched to the railing and her eyes on him. She then took his hand into hers. "Hey."

Bendy looked down to see Jordy holding his hand. **_"Uh, hey,"_ ** he said solemnly.

"Feeling any better?" Tom asked.

**_"Yeah yeah, I'm fine."_ **

Jordy gestured Bendy down to her level to whisper to him. "Sorry if I pushed you earlier. I was just worried about you."

**_"I know you were ... I appreciate it,"_ ** Bendy replied, softly gripping Jordy's hand back.

Al glanced over at the two. Though it was still a little bizarre to her, she couldn’t help but find their friendship touching. It almost reminded her of when she first met Tom. How he was there for her when she nearly lost herself to the ink. It made her glad that he had her back when she needed him and vice versa.

Just as soon as the barge went into the tunnel, it shook and stopped short. "W-what the--?!" Al exclaimed, trying to get the barge to move forward. It felt as if something was pulling at the barge’s paddlewheel.

Tom went over to the paddlewheel to inspect what happened. It had been covered with large blobs of ink. "The paddlewheel’s jammed. Luckily it seems like an easy fix." He then began digging out the blobs to clean out the paddlewheel.

As he did so, Jordy looked ahead and noticed bubbles forming from the river of ink. They grew rapidly and started approaching the barge. "What is that?" Jordy asked with wide eyes.

Al looked over at Jordy's direction, sharing the same expression. "Oh no..."

Within seconds, a giant gloved hand submerged from the black river, its fingers outstretched. It looked just like Bendy's hand, but with ink on its fingertips and a pulsating vein underneath its palm. The hand then raised itself and proceeded to slam down onto the boat. 

Thankfully, Bendy rushed forward to hold off the hand before it could collide with the boat. **_"Tom, you might wanna hurry up with that paddlewheel!"_ ** He was having a slight struggle holding the hand back. Maybe it was the poison still lingering in his ink? Or perhaps the hand truly was stronger than he was? Either way, he had to get it away from the barge.

The hand’s fingers wiggled as it tried to push its way over to the barge. Jordy stepped back as the giant monster attempted to reach its pinky out to her. “Guys…? The sooner we leave, the better!”

“Hold on, I’m trying!” Tom said, fidgeting with the ink blobs. “These little boogers are harder to get off than I thought!”

Immediately, Al stepped down from the control panel, withdrawing her machete. With one swipe, she sliced off the hand’s pinky, making it scream in agony. That gave Bendy the ability to push the hand off and it flew back into the inky depths.

"Phew, thank goodness," Al sighed with relief, cleaning her weapon before sheathing it. "Is the paddlewheel all fixed, Tom?"

"Almost..." Tom then shoveled out the last of the ink blobs. "Alright, start her up."

Al grabbed the throttle once more and off the barge went.

Bendy approached her, rubbing his hand behind his head. He wasn’t used to other people helping him, but for once, he was grateful Al was there. **_“Hey, uh...thanks.”_ **

Al turned to Bendy and paused. Then she smiled and nodded. “Don’t mention it.”

Jordy looked back to make sure the hand wasn't following them. Fortunately, there was no sign of movement. She took a breath and combed her hair back with her hand. "That was a close one."

"Never seen a creature like that before. Guess this means we're entering a part of the studio no one knows about. Be prepared for anything," Tom warned.

Bendy simply nodded as he sat back down next to Jordy. They watched as the barge approached the end of the tunnel. Within seconds, they arrived at a small harbor.

And it was inhabited by humanoid ink creatures.


	33. The Lost Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it counts as a trigger, but just a heads up that a derogatory word is used to describe Jordy in this chapter. You have been warned.

Jordy recognized the villagers right away. They were the same ink people she and Bendy encountered on Level S. She couldn’t help but feel bad for accidentally murdering one of them when she discovered her ink poisoning.

One of the villagers sat on a dock with a fishing rod, its golden eyes locked down at the gang. Soon, they were met with more stares. Some of the villagers ran away for cover while others pointed or whispered to each other.

"I … don't think they're happy to see us," Jordy mumbled, feeling uneasy.

**_"What IS happy to see us?"_ ** Bendy asked sarcastically. **_"Um, no offense."_ **

"None taken," Tom replied.

Soon enough, Al was able to find a spot to park the barge, slowing it down until it came to a complete stop. She then hopped off and clutched her rope tight. "Let's just look around cautiously," she ordered. "If any of these villagers pose a threat, we'll fight them. Otherwise, don’t pay mind to them."

Bendy and Tom followed the two girls off the boat as they proceeded into the village.

"They ... don't seem hostile," Tom observed.

**_"We've lived down here long enough to know how deceiving looks can be,"_ ** Bendy replied.

Jordy’s eyes scanned the village as they walked forward. It was small, but not vacant. Everything was constructed with wooden planks, barrels, and crates. Some even had writings on the wall, which she took a moment to read. 

‘DOWN HERE, WE’RE ALL SINNERS.’

‘WHAT AM I?’

‘DEATH TO THE DEVIL’S FODDER.’

That last message made Jordy’s face pale. Once she saw the cat ears drawn above the D in ‘Devil,’ she knew that the villagers were talking about her. She felt disgusted.

Bendy noticed this as well and cringed at the words. But he shook it off to keep his composure in check. **_“Don’t pay any attention to that, kid,”_ ** he whispered to Jordy. **_“They’re just trying to get under your skin.”_ **

“This is what I get for killing one of their kind,” Jordy whispered back half-jokingly. Not wanting to dwell on it further, she kept walking in the opposite direction.

Up ahead was a boarded-up doorway with a sign above it that read 'NOT MONSTERS.' Inked handprints decorated the site and candles were lit on the floor. Curious, Jordy decided to approach it.

All of a sudden, an ax busted through the doorway, hacking through the boards obstructing the door. Jordy recoiled in shock and retreated.

**"BETRAYED!! ABANDONED!!"** a distorted voice screamed from the other side. It belonged to a man made of ink wearing overalls and a cardboard mask of Bendy over his face.

Bendy’s eyes widened. **_"Kid, get behind us,"_ ** he commanded Jordy as Tom brandished his pipe.

**"ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS APPEASE YOU!! TO HAVE THE HONOR OF FEELING YOUR BLESSING UPON THIS WRETCHED FORM OF MINE!!"** The ink man readied his ax. **"YET YOU TRIED TO KILL ME LIKE SOME INSIGNIFICANT BUG!! YOU ARE A FAKE GOD!! AND FOR THAT, YOU MUST DIE!!"**

Jordy stayed behind Bendy as he asked her to. Part of her thought she recognized the voice, but couldn’t place who it was.

Al stood next to Tom, wielding her machete. "Don't come any closer, Sammy!" she warned the masked ink man.

"Wait--SAMMY?!" Jordy exclaimed. "The guy who kidnapped me back in the music department?!" 

**_“Uh ... yeah…”_ **Bendy replied hesitantly. He forgot that Jordy never saw Sammy’s face while she was tied up.

"But I thought you killed him!"

**"NO, CHILD!! HE MERELY SHOWED ME THE ERROR OF MY DELUSIONS!!"** Sammy said as he started swinging his ax.

Tom managed to block one of his swings with his pipe. "Sam, I'd say you're still a couple of grapes short of a vineyard."

**"SILENCE!! ALL OF YOU!!"** Sammy kicked Tom away. **"YOU ALL CONSPIRE WITH THE FALSE GOD!! YOU DON'T INTEND TO SAVE ANYONE!! YOU MERELY WANT TO DRAG US DOWN FURTHER INTO THE BLACK INFERNO!!"**

Al helped Tom on his feet, then charged for Sammy and swung her machete at him, which collided with his ax. "No offense, buddy, but I think you could use some conversion! And maybe a long therapy session!"

Suddenly, one of the ink villagers appeared out of hiding, pointing his finger to Jordy. **_"The Devil's Fodder..."_ **

Jordy hugged Bendy, scared for her life. The demon kept his arm around her protectively, growling at the villager.

**_"The Devil's Fodder,"_ ** another one repeated. Then came more, surrounding the gang with expressions of anger and fear. Some even wielded weapons of their own. **_"The Devil's Fodder! The Devil's Fodder!"_ **

**"AH, BUT CHILD, I HAVE FOUND A NEW WAY!"** Sammy pushed Al backward with his ax. Tom caught her before she could fall. Sammy then outstretched his arms as the villagers finished surrounding the gang. **"A NEW FAMILY! A KIN OF LOST ONES THAT WERE FORSAKEN JUST LIKE I WAS! AND TOGETHER, WE SHALL STRIKE AGAINST THE FALSE GOD THAT TORMENTED US AND FINALLY BE FREE OF THIS HELL! AND IF ANYONE STANDS IN OUR WAY--"** He stepped back a few feet, and then pointed his ax. **"THEN DEATH TO THE DEVIL AND HIS FODDER!!"**

The villagers charged toward the gang. Bendy managed to hoard several of them at once while Tom started smacking away at two with his pipe. Al joined the boys by slicing three of the villagers one-by-one with her machete.

Jordy tried to stay directly behind the others, but it was hard given how much they were moving. Her instincts were telling her to run, but with the villagers reaching out to her, there was no escape. "Hey, guys?" she called out to her allies. "Can I get a weapon or something? I don't wanna stand here looking like an idiot!"

**"OH, CHILD ... IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BE AN IDIOT, YOU WOULD HAVE LEFT THE FALSE GOD ALONE WHEN HE GAVE YOU THE CHANCE,"** Sammy replied as he swung his ax at Jordy. 

Bendy grabbed one of the villagers and chucked them at Sammy, knocking them both away from Jordy. **_"Get to the boat! And stay out of the way!"_ **

“But I don’t have a--” Jordy began to protest until she noticed Sammy dropped his ax. “Oh! Never mind!” She quickly picked it up before he could and used it to hack at the hoard.

Meanwhile, Joey Drew watched all the commotion going on from a set of screens. He grinned as Bendy and the others fought the villagers. It changed to a frown when he saw the girl making room for an escape and heading toward the barge. "Don't let her get away, Sammy," Joey whispered into his disc. "Remember our deal."

**"GET OFF ME!!"** Sammy yelled as he threw the villager off him. He then charged forward to Jordy.

Tom noticed as he continued fighting more villagers. "He's after Jordy!" he shouted at Bendy.

The demon immediately ran right to Sammy and picked him up by the back of his neck.

**"LAY YOUR HAND OFF ME, FALSE GOD!!"** Sammy commanded. **"OR YOU TWO SHALL BURN FROM THE INTENSE HEAT OF YOUR DISGUSTING SINS!!"**

**_"Yeesh, I don't know whether you were more annoying when you worshipped me or not,"_ ** Bendy said as he kept Sammy at bay.

_"Release him,"_ Joey's voice echoed in Bendy's hand.

Bendy gritted his teeth, trying to resist Joey. He tightened his grip on Sammy and then chucked him back to the village brawl, his body knocking out a group of villagers intending to hit Al. **_"Like that?"_ ** Bendy asked smugly.

Joey growled. "You've defied me for the last time, you insolent bastard! It's time to turn it up a notch!" He waved his hand over the disc, bringing back its red glow to cease Bendy's mind into submission.

Bendy knelt and grasped onto his head, his mind writhing in agony. He kept trying to shut out the noise and pain, but it was too much for him.

“Bendy! What's wrong?!" Jordy called worriedly from the barge.

Joey twisted and turned the shapes on the symbol, bringing more torment to Bendy’s mental state.

**_“C-can’t...hold it...much...longer!”_** Bendy flung himself back, letting out an agonizing yell.

Jordy gasped. She climbed down the barge and ran to try to help Bendy.

Joey Drew chuckled. This was perfect. The girl was falling right into his trap. He brought his finger to the center shape of the symbol and pressed it.

Without realizing it, Bendy’s arm spazzed out, knocking Jordy off the harbor and into the river.

Al had finished fighting the last villager when she heard a splash behind her. Her eyes widened with fear. "Jordy!"

The girl rose from the river, coughing as ink got into her mouth and nose. It tasted awful and burned her throat. She tried her best to swim over to the harbor, but the current was pulling her back. "B-Bendy! Help!" she called out to the demon.

"And...done!" Joey said, releasing his grip on Bendy's arms and mind.

Bendy shook his head as he regained his composure. He turned around to see Jordy in the river. **_"Jordy!"_ ** He rushed over to the harbor’s ledge. He tried to reach for her, stretching his arm out.

**"NO!!"** Sammy tried to pull Bendy back. **"LET THE DEMON FODDER SUFFER FOR HER IGNORANT DECISION!!"**

Tom and Al ran over to pry Sammy off of Bendy.

As they struggled, Jordy was still fighting against the current. She could see Bendy still reaching out to her. But her vision became malformed and the demon had a wicked grin on his face. Her nightmare was coming back to haunt her.

_“Don’t let him deceive you…”_

“No!” Jordy shouted, shaking the voice out of her head. Though the current was strong, she wasn't going to give up. She pushed herself to perform bigger strokes with her arms. Slowly, but surely, she was able to go against the current. She gripped the harbor ropes with one hand, then outstretched the other to Bendy. "Ben! I'm here! Give me your hand!"

Bendy was having a hard time reaching her due to Sammy still restraining him and Tom and Al trying to separate the two, but Bendy persisted. He took a few steps forward to try and reach closer to the girl. **_"Grab ... on ... Jordy ..."_ **

Jordy lifted herself to bring her hand closer to Bendy's. She felt Bendy's palm touching hers and was ready to wrap her fingers.

Suddenly, a familiar hand rose from the black river and grabbed Jordy, bringing her down into the abyss.


	34. Embrace Your Demise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sammy's an insensitive asshole. That is all.

**_"JORDY!!"_ ** Bendy swung his arm back, catapulting Sammy, Tom, and Al off him. Bendy ran to the edge of the pier and scanned the area, hoping to see a sign of where they went. **_“JORDY!! JORDY, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!”_ **

Alas, there was no trace of either or in sight. Nor could Jordy hear Bendy’s voice. The hand had sunk her deeper than anyone could've guessed. On the ocean floor was an open manhole cover connected to a huge pipe. Within seconds, the hand threw Jordy's body through the pipe and sealed it shut. Then it disappeared into the ink.

**_“JOOOORDYYYY!!!”_ **Bendy called the girl’s name repeatedly until his voice cracked. There was no way she was gone. She couldn’t be. The silence wasn’t helping him think otherwise. After a moment, Bendy just stood there, trying to process what had happened in front of him.

**"IT SERVED HER RIGHT, THE IMPUDENT CHILD!"** Sammy said, getting himself up. **"SHE KNEW FULL WELL SHE DIDN'T BELONG HERE, YET SHE STILL STAYED, BECAUSE OF** **_YOU_ ** **!!"**

Tom glared at Sammy. "She ain’t dead. I know there are pipes buried underground and they all lead somewhere. Where did that hand drag her?"

**"FEH, IT DOESN'T MATTER. ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT BALANCE IS ALMOST RESTORED. ALL THAT'S LEFT IF TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AND THE FAL--"**

Al punched Sammy in the face, instantly breaking his cardboard mask. She then grabbed him by his suspenders and drew her machete to his neck, glaring directly at his blank face. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but we're not leaving until you give us answers! SO TALK!!"

Sammy let out a sinister chuckle as he pulled himself up without going too close to the blade. **"ALL I KNOW IS THAT SHE'S NOW ON HER WAY TO THE VERY DEVIL WHO DROVE US ALL TO HELL. THE MAN WHOSE BEEN PLAYING YOU ALL LIKE PUPPETS. AND SOON, HE SHALL RID THE WORLD OF HER IGNORANCE."**

Al's eyes widened, knowing fully well who Sammy was talking about. That was when it all began to click. "That stunt you pulled earlier...it was all a setup, wasn't it?!" she yelled, bringing the blade closer to the former prophet's neck. "What kind of deal did Joey make with you?! And why?!"

Sammy merely laughed at her. **"YOUR THREATS DON'T MATTER TO ME. NOTHING MATTERS. ALL THAT'S IMPORTANT IN LIFE IS WHAT JOEY DREW WANTS. THAT'S ALL THAT'S BEEN IMPORTANT EVER SINCE HE CREATED THIS GODFORSAKEN STUDIO!"**

"You’d better answer her question, Sam," Tom chimed in. "We're all about out of patience with you and Mr. Drew."

**"FEH! I ALREADY SERVED MY PURPOSE. THAT'S ALL I EVER WAS. ALL I EVER WILL BE. JUST ANOTHER MEANS TO AN END FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S AVARICE. DEATH WOULD BE A WELCOMING RELEASE!"**

Before anyone else could respond, Bendy grabbed Sammy's throat and raised him in the air. This time, his grip on his throat was iron tight. **_"You want to die so badly? Keep pushing..."_ **

"Um, Bendy?..." Tom said calmly.

**"NO! DON'T INTERRUPT HIM!"** Sammy demanded, his voice cracking from the pressure at his throat. **"THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT, ISN'T IT DEMON? TO RELEASE YOUR ANGER ON WHOM YOU BLAMED FOR YOUR LITTLE FOLLOWER'S DEMISE. GO AHEAD! VENT OUT ALL YOUR RAGE! IT'S WHAT JOEY WANTED ANYWAY. EVERYTHING ALWAYS NEEDS TO GO ACCORDING TO HIM!"**

"Bendy, that's enough!!" Al yelled firmly. "I know you're angry like the rest of us, but giving in to the monster you've been fighting to suppress won't change anything! You’re better than this! Remember what you told me about Jordy, how much she was willing to stay by you no matter what! What would she say to you if she saw you now?"

Sammy let out one last chuckle. **"WHY RESTRAIN HIM? YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW WHAT HE'S BEEN THROUGH. YOU OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD** **_LOVE_ ** **TO SEE JOEY REAP THE SORROW HE'S BROUGHT UPON US ... AM I NOT WRONG,** **_ALLISON_ ** **?"**

Tom stood shocked, hearing Sammy so callously mention Al's previous life. He slowly turned to his companion. "Al?"

Al froze. It was the first time she heard that name in forever. Everything began flashing back to her time as a singer. Back when she was happy, free, and loved by all. Back when a certain repairman was swept off his feet by her voice. Back when she was swept off her feet by him.

Al immediately dropped her weapon, bringing her hands to her mouth. She got on her knees, trying to hold back a sob.

Tom proceeded to hold out a hand to her, but pulled it back, thinking she'd probably rather not be touched. He was angry that Sammy did this to her, but did his best to stay calm in the situation.

**"YEEESS ... BACK WHEN YOU, TOO, WERE MERELY ANOTHER PAWN FOR JOEY'S GREED. HOW HE USED YOU TO RUIN SUSIE, TURNING HER INTO THE MONSTER** **_SHE_ ** **BECAME. YOU DON'T OWE HIM ANYTHING. NONE OF YOU OWE HIM ANYTHING! BECAUSE NONE OF YOU EVER MATTERED! ALL THAT EVER MATTERED WAS WHATEVER WOULD BENEFIT THE GREAT JOEY DR--"**

Bendy threw the former prophet’s head to the ground, silencing him. A _SQUISH_ sound was made when his skull cracked open and began seeping with ink. Then Bendy raised his fists and slammed them down on Sammy’s lifeless body, repeatedly punching him until he was nothing but a black puddle.

Al snapped back into reality upon hearing Bendy pounding Sammy's lifeless body. She looked around, trying to process what happened. Then her sepia gaze met with Tom's, who looked worried for her. Quickly standing up, she wiped away her tears with her ink-stained arm. "Well, now that we got that out of the way," she sniffled. "Let's go get Jordy."

"But we don't know where that hand took her," Tom responded. He then turned to Bendy, who had stopped pounding onto Sammy's corpse. He stood upright but was breathing shallowly. "Um, Bendy ... are you--"

**_"I'm fine,"_ ** Bendy answered bluntly and coldly. He then turned around and went back to the others **_"So, where should we look first?"_ **

"Hmm..." Al placed her hand on her chin in thought. "Well, this may be a stretch...but perhaps Drew's office could be a possible location. Do you know if there are any pipes there, Tom?"

"Most likely," Tom then pointed to a gate across from the entrance Sammy emerged from. "My guess is we can get to it through that gate."

Bendy stormed off to the gate without hesitation.

"Hey, wait a minute, Bendy!" Tom called out.

**_"We're not wasting any more time. We gotta save her."_** Bendy proceeded to make his way across a makeshift bridge of wooden planks.

"Hold on!" Al ran after the Ink Demon. "You don't even know--"

**_"I don't care! I just wanna saAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"_ **Bendy’s foot slipped through one of the planks and he fell down a large hole, falling face-first onto the floor. 

Tom rushed over to look down the hole. "Oh God, are you okay?!"

Bendy, face down, replied with a muffled, **_"Peachy..."_ **

Al cautiously walked across the bridge, looking down where Bendy landed and shaking her head. "You know, it's a good thing I carry a rope," she said. Unraveling the rope from her shoulder, she flung it down the cavern, landing beside Bendy. She then tied one end to a boulder and wrapped the rope around her waist for security. Once she did, she hopped down the hole and slid herself to the ground floor. Then she untied the rope and stepped aside. "All clear, Tom!"

Tom grabbed onto the rope and used it to slide down to the bottom. Midway he lost his grip and fell, landing on Bendy's head. "Oof! Uh, sorry there Bendy," Tom said as he got up.

**_"Heh ... I've had worse hits..."_ ** Bendy replied as he pulled himself back up.

Al cut the rope free with her machete. Whatever was left, she salvaged back around her shoulder. "Well, then, shall we be off?"

**_"Might as well..."_ ** Bendy walked forward.

"You sure you don't want one of us to take the lead there?" Tom asked.

**_"I can handle it,"_ ** Bendy said, still blunt and cold.

Al sighed. "Just let him. He's already angry enough as it is. Besides, the sooner we find Jordy, the better."

**_"And the sooner we can get her out of this nightmare..."_ ** Bendy said, a small hint of worry in his voice as he continued leading the guys forward.


	35. The Man In The Wheelchair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in time for my birthday, here's the next chapter!

It felt like Jordy was riding inside the pipes forever. The ink sloshed left, right, up, and down so quickly that she couldn’t tell where she was going. Then it hit her.

_BAM!_

On her bottom, she landed. It felt hard, cold, and a bit cramped. Jordy was covered head to toe in ink that she couldn’t see a thing. She tried rubbing her eyes or even cleaning her glasses. She swore that everywhere she went to was pitch black. Then she tried standing up, only to hit her head on something hard.

Her eyes flew wide open. It was still black. The ink couldn’t have messed with her vision. She even made sure she used enough spray on the lenses. By instinct, she reached into her purse, being careful not to get any ink into the contents. She grabbed her phone and turned on the flashlight. The blue light shined against the edge where she hit her head.

“Where am I?” Jordy wondered aloud, examining her surroundings. Her voice reverberated in the space she was in. Perhaps she was in some sort of vent. Then she backed up, only to hit something else. She reached her hand behind her and grasped something thin, like metal. A prison? She waved the light around the confined space. She didn’t remember prison cells being this small.

As Jordy picked herself up, she felt it move. She froze. It was tilting side to side lazily. She firmly gripped her phone for security and pointed the light upward. There were chains connected to the metal roof, keeping it afloat. The realization struck her. This wasn’t a prison cell. It was a cage.

“Hello!” The girl raised her voice, creating more echoes. “Can anyone hear me?! Where am I?! Why am I in a cage?! Why is it so dark?!”

"I am terribly sorry for the rather abrupt means of your arrival," an elderly voice said. The man wheeled up to the cage in a wheelchair. He carried a lantern, which cast lights and shadows over his wrinkled, sinister face. "I had hoped we could have a more civil meeting. But given recent circumstances, I had to ... improvise."

Jordy’s eyes widened at the appearance of the disabled old man. “Wait ... no, you can’t be … Joey Drew?”

"In the flesh, milady," Joey said, gesturing with one hand. He wheeled a bit closer to the cage. "And if I'm not mistaken, you were wanting to stop on by to partake in a workshop of mine?" There was a slight chuckle in his voice once he mentioned the workshop, the very reason Jordy went to the cursed studio in the first place.

Jordy cringed at his chuckle. She hardly knew the man and already he was giving her uncomfortable vibes. “Yeah, a workshop that turned into a deathtrap,” she remarked, putting her phone away.

"Deathtrap? Why would you assume such horrible things?” he said, feigning a hurt tone. “I just needed some extra hands to help keep things running around here. As you can imagine, with the studio in its current condition, we're in dire need of some proper maintenance."

“By ‘maintenance,’ you mean ‘taking care of the demon you’ve had locked up for God knows how long?’ What’s your deal with Bendy anyway? Why do you hate him?”

"I don't hate him. I'm just ... disappointed in him." Joey wheeled around the cage as if he was pacing. "I wanted to make the perfect replica of my little devil darling. A real-life Bendy that can entertain children live and in person. But unfortunately because of that _idiot_ Tom, the machine coughed up the monstrosity we know today."

“He’s not a monstrosity!” Jordy yelled, gripping the bars. “He’s just as capable of living, breathing, and interacting with others as the rest of us are! Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean everyone thinks the same way!”

"Is that so?" Joey turned his chair back to her. "And do you know for a fact that people are gonna have that same mindset if you, oh I dunno, bring him to the outside world? You really expect them to not see him as a monster right off the bat?"

Jordy kept her mouth shut, not wanting to acknowledge him. Though her expression was a dead giveaway, for she knew deep down that he was right. 

“That’s what I thought,” Joey replied smugly.

Jordy glared at him. “Whatever you’re planning to do with him, you won’t win. He’ll come for me and we’ll both get out of here alive.”

"Well, you are right about one thing, little lady. That abomination _will_ be coming for you. In fact..." Joey pulled out a demonic-looking disc. It looked a lot more exotic than the one he had used previously. "...I'm actually counting on it," he added sinisterly.

Jordy’s pupils shrank at the sight of the disc. The symbol was unfamiliar to her, yet as refining as the details were, it made her stomach sink. “What is that?”

"Oh don't worry yourself over this little thing," Joey said as he tucked it back into his shirt pocket. "All you gotta worry about is finally being reunited with your inky little friend."

Jordy’s breathing hitched. Whatever that disc was, she could only guess it was what he’d been using to mess with Bendy’s head. What he used to knock her off the harbor and pull her into the black river. “I swear to God, if you hurt him, I’ll break open this cage, punch you in the face, and use my ink poisoning on you!” she fumed.

Joey chuckled at Jordy’s outburst. "Dearie, you couldn't even if you wanted to. Ink poisoning can do a lot of things, but it won't make you bend metal. Besides, I’d have to be made of ink in order for it to work on me, which I’m not. Thank the gods.” He rotated his wheelchair, turning his back on Jordy. “Just sit tight and look forward to seeing good old Bendy. I promise it’ll be worth the wait." He then wheeled away from the cage to go off and prepare for his next step.

Dread filled Jordy as she was left alone in the dark. As much as she wanted Bendy to come and save her, she couldn’t fathom the thought of him getting tortured by Joey again. Or worse.


	36. The Search

After some time had passed, the trio eventually made it to the administrator's area. Bendy peered around the corner and saw a door labeled ‘JOEY DREW.’ **_"You think he'd take her to his office?"_ ** he asked.

"It seems the most logical," Al replied. "Though no doubt it's an obvious choice for a trap. We'll have to be careful."

"Well, there are three of us against one of him. I'm sure we'll be fine," Tom reassured. Without a word, Bendy walked forward to the door.

But just as the gang was about to go inside, three familiar toons hobbled down the hallway. They mumbled garbled sounds to each other as if they were talking. That was when the chimp-like one spotted the Ink Demon. Snarling, he pointed his wrench and they all charged at the gang.

Al turned her head at the noise. "Look out! Incoming!"

Tom smacked one of them with his pipe. "Guess even the Butcher Gang weren't safe from Joey's manipulation."

**_"We don't have time for this!"_ ** Bendy grabbed the other two and bashed their heads together.

The Butcher Gang screamed at the impacts they were dealing with, but with the formula inside them, they were resilient and dashed back to retaliate. The spider latched itself to Bendy's leg and bit him with his head teeth.

**_"GAH!"_ ** Bendy ripped the spider off his leg and chucked him at a nearby wall. **_"These little guys are pretty tough."_ **

"Tougher than usual, if anything," Tom added as he tried to smack another one with his pipe, but it wasn't quite as effective.

Al yelled as she swung her machete down, cutting the head off of the one with the fishing pole and stepping on it. Then she made her way to the chimp. "Bendy, get inside and find Jordy! Tom and I will handle this!"

Bendy ran towards the door as Tom helped Al. Bendy kicked it down and walked forward to realize that the room was empty. There was no Joey and no Jordy... **_"RrrrrRRRRRRGH!"_ ** Bendy slammed his fist down onto the table, breaking it in half.

After finishing off the last of the Butcher Gang, Al caught the sound of Bendy's slam and ran in the office. "Bendy, what is it?"

**_"She ain’t here!"_ ** Bendy yelled. He then went to a shelf on the side and pushed it over. **_"The only lead we have and it's a dead-end!"_ **

"Calm down there, Bendy," Tom said. "I'm sure there's still somewhere in the studio." 

A filing cabinet came flying across the room, landing right next to Tom. _**“DON’T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!!”**_

As Bendy continued trashing the office, Al’s eyes were glued to the broken desk. Then she discovered something on the floor underneath it. "Wait...what's this?" She bent down and picked up a sheet of paper with writing attached to it. She read it aloud as she skimmed through it.

_"Dear Bendy,_

_I knew you'd come in here seeking the girl and trashing through my office to find her. Though she is elsewhere, I can assure you she's unharmed._

_If you want to see her again, go fetch something for me in the vault across the lobby. You'll know where she is once you retrieve it._

_Signed,_

_Joey Drew."_

Bendy clenched his teeth, panting heavily. He was fed up with having to deal with Joey, especially knowing that he still had Jordy held hostage. He immediately stormed out of the office and through the lobby, heading to the vault.

Tom ran off to catch up with him. "Bendy, I know you don’t want to hear it, but I really think you should take a moment to calm yourself. We need to discuss what to do next." As they approached the vault, Bendy grabbed onto the door, and after a moment of struggle, he pried the vault door off its hinges and swung it aside. "...Or, I guess not."

Al was getting a bit agitated with Bendy's anger and rushed in front of him, holding her arms out. "Before you go taking another step, know that we're only trying to help you find Jordy, not slow you down. So if you want us to trust you, you’re gonna have to get a grip and start trusting us. Got it?"

Bendy pulled his arm away. **_"It ain't that I don't trust you! I just want to get this over with so I can get Jordy back. So that I can FINALLY rid myself of that greasy bastard, Joey."_ **

"We will get her back. And you will be free of him. All of us will. But you need to take a breath. We're not gonna get anywhere with you hasting with agitation." Al stepped to the side cautiously, pointing at the vault's contents. "So...when you're clear in the head and ready, go for it."

Although he was annoyed, he did as Al said and took a moment to regain some composure. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, and then turned to Al. **_"Alright ... I'm sorry. Now, let's see what Joey wanted me to see."_ **

Al nodded, putting her hand down as she let Bendy walk inside the vault. Cardboard boxes were scattered everywhere, most of them opened to reveal vintage film reels. Some were still in good condition while others had their tapes tangled or torn.

In the very back was a closed box with a note attached to it. It read 'FOR BENDY' in bold, black letters.

Bendy walked up to the box, kneeling as he pulled open the flaps and searched its contents.

"What's inside it?" Tom asked.

Bendy pulled out a film reel, with a phrase written on the label. It read ‘THE END.’ Upon seeing this, Bendy stood still as something sparked in his head. A memory of something he had suppressed but was now brought to light.

Al approached him and examined what was in his hands. "A film reel? This is what Joey wanted Bendy to fetch? But why?” She turned to Tom. “Where would you even go underground to watch a film?"

“Beats me, honestly,” Tom shrugged. “I’ve only been through so many areas in the studio.”

Bendy stood up, the reel still in his hands. **_"...I know where he is. Where he took her."_ **

"Where?" Tom asked.

**_"The same place I came from. The same place that caused everything to hit the fan from the start..."_ ** Bendy turned around to Al and Tom. **_"They're inside the Ink Machine."_ **


	37. The Ink Machine

"Wait, whoa whoa whoa, time out!" Al exclaimed, flabbergasted. "What do you mean they're 'inside the Ink Machine?!' That's impossible, unless--" Her eyes went wide at the thought of Joey sacrificing Jordy to the Ink Machine. "Oh, God."

"You really think Joey would try to turn Jordy into a full-on monster?" Tom asked.

**_"Yes,"_ ** Bendy said, still looking down at the reel in his hand.

"Well wait, which machine are we talking about?"

"Hold on." Confusion overwhelmed Al so much that she pressed her fingers to her temples. "So let me get this straight. There's _more_ than one Ink Machine?"

"There's two of them," Tom responded. "Joey was very strict about keeping the other one a secret. The one everyone knew about was just a fancier version of the small printers we've been seeing around. The second one, that was what Joey touted as his masterpiece ... well, would be his masterpiece. He always kept blaming me for the kinks it had, kept saying I just wasn't good enough to maintain it."

**_"All that matters is that he's in that one,"_ ** Bendy replied. **_"And I know where it is."_ **

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Al said. "Let's hurry and save her before it's too late."

"It's hidden behind this door," Tom said, pointing ahead. "But it's shut pretty tight. And Joey’s the only one who can open—"

Bendy approached the door and gave it a solid punch, knocking it down to the ground.

"...Well, I guess we don't need him now."

An amused chuckle escaped Al's lips. "Alright, big guy. Lead the way."

Bendy nodded and walked through the door down the corridor it led to. Along the way, he spotted an old desk by one of the corners. There was an early concept drawing of the cartoon Bendy with a small, dopey looking smile and the words ‘NO’ right next to it. Another old memory sparked for him just by looking at it. One of someone from a long time ago...

Scoffing, Bendy turned away from the desk and kept walking. After another minute, he came to a stop. **_"Well, here it is..."_ **

Al followed behind the boys and looked up in awe. Before her was a giant machine with a dripping nozzle above the doorway. The nozzle was connected to multiple pipes, all still pumping with ink. On top sat the smaller ink machine that Tom mentioned. "Wow...I've never seen anything like it," Al commented.

"Eeyep, it's a piece of work, alright," Tom said, taking a moment to marvel at the massive machine. "The entire root of Joey's avarice." He took a moment to notice the entranceway was opened. "And it looks like Joey is expecting us."

**_"Not us,”_ ** Bendy said. **_“Me."_ **

Al paused. "You can't possibly think you're going in there alone. That would be suicide."

**_"If I don't do something, Jordy will be dead ... or worse ... be turned into one of us."_ **

"Not sure you can even if you want to," Tom said, observing the large ink moat between them and the Machine. "Something about this ink feels ... worse than the rest. Not sure any of us can survive it."

Al stepped closer to the ledge, looking down at the ink. Though it was shallow, its very presence lingered with death. She swore she could hear voices whispering in her head as she continued to stare into the abyss. Shaking her head, she stepped back. "Y-you're right...too risky," she trembled lightly. Then she sighed. "If there were any wood here, I'd build us a raft."

"Maybe we can use the door Bendy knocked down?" Tom suggested. "Hmm .. but it’s all the way back there. Should we risk going back to get it?"

"Not sure. We probably don't have much time before--" The moment Al turned her head, she noticed that Bendy was nowhere in sight. "Wait, where did Bendy go?!"

**_"Hey!"_ ** Bendy was calling from the other side of the moat. He waved as he stood in front of the entranceway into the Machine. **_"Don't worry! I'll get her back!"_ **

"What?" Tom said in shock. "How did he not get hurt going across?"

"He's the Ink Demon," Al bluntly responded. "He's strong against anything." She called back to Bendy. "Kick Joey's ass for us!"

Bendy nodded and soon proceeded to walk through the entrance. He passed by the insides of the giant machine, every sight of it bringing back grating feelings and memories. But he kept pushing it down for Jordy's sake. Within seconds, he came to the center of the machine, which housed a large round room. Plastered on the walls were several monitors, each one showing a looping segment of classic Bendy cartoons. And in the center sat Joey Drew in a large throne-like chair, with several projectors on their sides.

"Ah, Bendy," Joey spoke. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show. Hope you don’t mind me getting comfortable."

**_"Shut up,"_ ** Bendy replied bluntly. **_"I ain’t here to talk with you. Matter of fact, I've had more than enough of you. Tell me where Jordy is."_ **

"Ah, yes … your little friend. Alright, I won't delay you any further." Joey reached down beside him and pulled a lever, opening the roof of the Ink Machine. Outside was a series of cages that dangled from above. "Check out that glorious view. Simply awe-inspiring, isn't it?" He lowered one of the cages next to him, revealing the young brunette. "I'm sure your friend would agree."

Jordy woke up to see Joey and the Ink Demon a few feet below her. "Bendy!"

Bendy proceeded to run to her, but Joey put his hand up to stop the demon. “Ah, ah, ah! We can’t have you playing heroics yet, boy. Not unless you’re willing to listen to what I have to say.”

Bendy groaned. **_"If you want me to get back to being your little pet, whatever! But why bring the kid into this? She has no reason to be a part of this!"_ **

"Oh, but she does," Joey replied. "The moment she let her curiosity take over after seeing you, she was already one step closer to sealing her fate. And you saw what it did to her, poisoning her, giving her this dangerous power. Why, if she even tries to step out of the studio with it, she'll die." The man paused to grin. "But I have something that can rid her of that. Or rather … you do."

Bendy stepped forward, his fist clenching. **_"Give me a VERY good reason to think you're not lying to me. Like you always have."_ **

Joey’s face remained calm, expressionless. "Open the film reel, Bendy. Look inside.”

Bendy gave a perplexed look. Then he pulled out the reel he was holding. **_"Inside the reel?"_ **

Joey nodded. "Go on. Don't be shy."

Bendy took another look at the reel, hesitating about opening it. He could tell it was another trick, but he didn't know what else he could do to help Jordy. After a moment, he did as instructed and opened the film reel. Inside was a tall vial filled with clear liquid taped to the bottom lid.

Jordy's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Is that...?"

"Yes...the cure to your ink poisoning," Joey confirmed. "All yours for the taking, my dear. That is … if Bendy's willing to agree to my terms."

Bendy looked up from the reel. **_"What terms?"_ **

"You work for me. Give up your will and become the monster you are. If you accept, I will release Jordy and give her the cure." Joey's grin faltered as he raised the chains. "But if you refuse, I could do one of two things to her. Sacrifice her to the machine. Or..." He reached into his coat and pulled out the disc. "Speed up her ink poisoning."

Bendy stared at the disc with compulsion. Its very symbol was alluring, yet evil. And while he wouldn’t admit it, it frightened him. He tried shaking off to focus on the matter at hand. **_"How do I know you're not bluffing about giving her the cure?"_ ** he replied. **_"Give it to her first, THEN I'll agree to your terms."_ **

"Bendy, no!" Jordy pleaded. "Don't do it!"

Joey glared at her before turning back to Bendy. "Is that your _final_ answer?"

Bendy lifted his head to Jordy, seeing how scared she was for him. Even he had to admit that he wasn’t keen on giving up his freedom to Joey again. But he cared about Jordy’s safety more. **_"...Yeah,"_ ** Bendy finally said, taking the vial out and handing it to Joey. **_"She doesn't belong down here. So I think she should go."_ **

Without a second thought, Joey took the cure from Bendy's hand. "A wise decision, lad. I couldn't agree with you more." He lifted his head to Jordy. "You hear that, little lady? You're free to go." Joey pulled the lever down and the cage began to fall.

Once it landed safely next to them, Bendy pointed to the vial Joey was holding. **_"Well? Give her the cure."_ **

"Well, I would if it weren't for my back," Joey replied bluntly. "Get her out of there and I will."

Bendy let out an irritated groan as he walked over and escorted Jordy out of the cage. **_"Are you okay, kiddo?"_ **

Jordy reached up to give Bendy a quick hug. "Y-yes, I'm fine. But..." She stared at his face in disbelief. "Why would you give yourself up like that?"

**_"Because ... it's like I said. You don't belong here,"_ ** Bendly responded, solemnly. **_"Jordy, you have a life. Friends. Family. And I'm not gonna let you lose all that."_**

“But Ben—”

_**“No! No ‘buts.’** _ _**This ain’t up for discussion. You need to stop acting like I’m worth throwing everything away. **Because that's what got you down here, to begin with.** ” ** _

Jordy flinched, awkward silence filling the air.

Bendy sighed and placed a hand on top of her head to gently stroke it. **_"I’m not trying to make you feel bad, Jordy. I’m only being harsh because I care. I care about you and I care about your safety. That’s why I’m fighting so devildamn hard for you. Why I’m willing to give up my freedom for yours. You need to live your life ... it's what I want you to do...”_** He moved his hand under her chin. ** _”..._** ** _And I want you to actually listen to me this time ... please..."_**

Jordy didn't say a word in response. She didn't like what Bendy was getting himself into. She wanted to convince him to change his mind and leave with her. But after all she went through by clinging onto him, she needed to heed his words. 

Gently pulling his hand away, she turned to Joey, who was holding the vial out to her. "Go on, dearie," he said smoothly. "Take it."

Letting air flare through her nostrils, Jordy grabbed the cure. She hated that she was being forced to say goodbye to Bendy. To leave him behind to an abusive madman. Angrily, she unscrewed the cap. The clear liquid glistened against the room’s lighting. Staring at it for a moment, she then took one last look at the demon. "I hope the choice you made was worth it. Because while I sure as Hell don't think so, I'll never stop supporting you." A single tear rolled down from her cheek. “...Don’t forget me, Bendy.” The girl then proceeded to bring the vial to her lips.

Right before Jordy could take a sip of the cure, Bendy felt a sudden harsh jolt throughout his body. **_"HHNNNGGH!"_ ** He got down on his knees, gripping his head as the pain continued to thrive in his body.

"Oops,” Joey said, his hand on the demonic disc. “My finger slipped."

"Bendy!!" Jordy screamed. She screwed the cap back on before kneeling to the demon's level. “What are you doing to him?!”

"Oh, nothing." Joey watched as Bendy continued to writhe in agony. "Let's just say that this little old disc here is kind of like a key. And I used it to unlock something deep within this disgusting excuse for a cartoon."

Bendy's body began to bubble and pulsate. The girl shifted back as she witnessed his form changing. He became larger and more deformed than he did before. His arms grew thicker and longer, his hands turning into nasty-looking claws. The ink that covered his eyes began engulfing his entire face. And when his face became pitch black, a row of razor-sharp teeth emerged from its surface.

"You think Bendy isn't some kind of monster, child? Well now ... _now_ you sure as Hell will..."

With the transformation complete, Bendy stood upright with his arms supporting his new body. He turned around and glared at Joey and Jordy, and finally, let out a blood-curdling howl to the ceiling.


	38. The Beast Unleashed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all so much for 1,000+ hits! It's honestly incredible how much you guys like my story and I'm grateful for it.
> 
> Secondly, I can confirm with certainty that there are two chapters left after this one. I didn't think I would get this far with my partner in the time we spent writing this, but I'm glad we did.
> 
> And third, just letting you all know that this chapter does contain some gore. Reader's discretion is advised.

Jordy covered her ears to protect them from Bendy's outcry. She couldn't believe what Joey did to him. How much his physical form was altered. Her heart pounded just by glancing at the beast's teeth. "B-Bendy?" she said, hoping he was still in there.

Bendy moved a bit forward, towering over Jordy and snarling at her.

Joey leaned back in amusement over the sight of his creation's new form. "Now, since I played my part of the bargain, time for you to play yours." He then leaned forward and whispered to the disc in his hand. "Kill the girl."

Bendy immediately swung one of his giant arms at Jordy.

"AAAAH!!" Jordy yelped as she rolled over to one side. She ran over to a corner, aiming to reach the doorway.

Bendy ran after her. Even with his hulking frame, he was somehow faster than he ever was. He stopped in front of Jordy, blocking her way out.

"Now now, kiddo," Joey said. "Don't make this any more tedious than it needs to be."

Jordy's feet skidded across the floor in an attempt to halt herself. She stepped back with intimidation. "Bendy, please! It's me!"

The demon grabbed Jordy by the throat and lifted her, walking back to Joey.

"Don't even bother trying to appeal to him," the old man said, flaunting the disc in his hand. "As long as I've got this, the only person he'll listen to is me. Like he was meant to be."

"B-Bendy!" the girl choked, trying to escape the demon's grasp. This scenario was way too similar to her nightmare. She couldn't let Joey win. Feeling she had no other choice, she let her ink poisoning course through her, giving her the strength to claw at Bendy's wrist.

Bendy instinctively released his grip from Jordy, recoiling in pain.

Joey sat more upright and slammed his free fist. "Don't just stand there, you useless idiot! Get her!"

**"Not if I get you first!"** Jordy said, rushing over to grab the disc from Joey.

Joey tried to push Jordy away with one hand while he held the disc as far away from her as he could with the other hand. He pressed his thumb on the symbol and sharp pain flared inside her arm. It fell limp and wouldn’t move no matter how hard she tried.

Meanwhile, Bendy found himself snapping out of a daze. He looked around frantically to see where he was until he spotted Jordy. He attempted to reach out to her.

Joey noticed and brought the disc back to his mouth. "Are you even listening to me, you braindead puppet?! GET THE GIRL!!"

Power overflowing his mind once more, Bendy seized Jordy by the waist and threw her down the hall.

Jordy landed hard on her back, hitting a wall. The impact caused the vial to fall out of her hand and roll across the floor. "No!" She scrambled herself off the floor and ran after it. Fearing the demon was behind her, she hastily picked it up and put it in her purse.

Bendy then rushed forward down the corridor and scooped up Jordy, slamming her against another wall. He roared into her face.

Jordy shut her eyes as the rush of wind and black saliva came to her. She coughed harshly when the smell of ink and Bacon Soup met her nostrils.

Bendy grabbed at her purse, ripping it open and causing the vial to drop out. It didn't shatter thankfully, but it did roll down across the floor good ways from the two.

"My purse!!" Jordy screamed as the contents spilled out. Before she knew it, she found herself flying once again and her head collided with one of the ink tubes. Her glasses fell off her face as she landed on the ground. She felt weak trying to get up and could barely see the demon lumbering toward her. "B-Bendy ... please..."

Bendy slowly moved toward Jordy. With each step he got closer to her, he let out another snarl.

_"Good boy,"_ Joey said in the demon’s head. _"Now, finish her for good..."_

Jordy struggled to sit up and reach for her glasses. Everything ached from her arms and legs to her back. There was no running from the demon now. "Ben ... you don't want to do this," she said. "I know it's stupid to try to persuade you and you won't listen to me ... but I know you're still in there. You're trapped inside your own mind, begging to come out. Begging for the beast I'm seeing to not kill me. Because you want me to live. You want to see me leave this place alive so I can be with my loved ones and live a good life.” She attempted to smile despite her fear. “That’s what you told me, right? Prove it. Show me you’re strong enough to fight back. Show me the demon I know and love who spared me, cried for me, and was willing to put up with my bullshit the whole way through."

As she kept talking, Bendy’s pace decreased until he eventually stopped in front of her. He slowly raised a fist, intending to finish her. 

Jordy screwed her eyes shut. “Show me the demon who cares!” She expected her efforts to be useless, for Bendy to crush her with his giant hand.

But once he heard her last words, the beast stalled for a moment. His fist tightened and he started breathing more heavily. But he still restrained himself.

_"What are you doing?"_ Joey scolded. _"She's just stalling so she can escape. Don't give her that chance. Kill her!"_

Jordy opened her eyes. Bendy's arm began to quiver, his breathing still heavy. “That’s it, Ben!” she encouraged. “You can do it! Keep fighting!”

The beast shook his head, hyperventilating as he struggled to pull his arm back. He grunted and growled repeatedly in an attempt to speak. **_“RRRR ... RRR-RU ... RR-RUN...”_**

_"KILL HER NOW!!"_ Joey screamed. _"YOU. IDIOT!!"_

Bendy tightened his fist even more and let out another howl, slamming his fist down next to Jordy.

Jordy attempted to pick herself up and ran past the demon as fast as she could. She was glad she was getting through to him, though with Joey still in control, it was difficult. She knew then what she needed to do.

She went around every corner to find the spot she was at last time. Luckily, her torn purse was still there. She grabbed the contents and stuffed them in her pockets before going after the vial. Her decision was going to be a tough one, but she needed to do it to save Bendy. 

After picking up the vial, she held it up and whistled out to the demon. "Oh, Bendy!"

Bendy began searching the room for Jordy, his head turning frantically to try and spot her. But once he heard her voice, he turned towards her direction and began charging at her.

"That's it. Come and get me." Jordy instantly ran. She peered around every corner to make sure she was ahead of Bendy, holding the vial tightly in her hand. Once she reached the next turn, she found an ink pumping station to hide in. She gave one quick peek as a safety check before reopening the vial. She gulped down half of the cure, which left a bitter aftertaste on her tongue. She then looked down at her arm to see the ink in her veins were disappearing steadily. "Yes!”

Bendy wasn't too far from where Jordy was when he heard her voice echo through the ink pumping station. He then ran through a nearby wall, only to re-emerge through a wall across from Jordy, growling at her.

Jordy's head shot up and she gasped. Although she was tempted to run, she needed to stay in one place for her plan to work. Even if it meant treating Bendy like a dog. "Okay, easy, Ben. Easy." She slowly walked backward, raising the cure cautiously. “Come here, boy.”

Bendy roared as he rushed towards Jordy, ready to ram her into the ink pump behind her. Jordy moved out of the way before he could and the beast slammed his head against the pump. The glass cracked and the ink gushed out and sprayed all over the floor.

Jordy looked up to see Bendy was dizzy from his impact. Taking a deep breath, she carefully approached him again. “Don’t worry, Bendy. You’ll be back to normal soon. Just hold still and I’ll--”

Bendy quickly turned around and tackled the girl. He kept her body pinned down with his massive hand and opened his mouth, intending to eat her.

Jordy winced. This wasn't what she had planned, but at least it got her close to him. She shimmied her arm out of the demon’s grip, cure still in hand. She lifted it to his mouth. "I-I'm sorry, Ben ... forgive me for doing this." With one swift throw, the vial landed inside.

Bendy started choking once the vial hit his throat. He released Jordy as he stepped back and gripped his neck. He was coughing out blotches of ink and was barely able to maintain his balance. Eventually, he fell over on his side.

Jordy placed her hand on her chest as she struggled to bring oxygen into her lungs. She looked over to her left to find the demon on the ground. He wasn't moving. Part of her was worried that her stunt might have killed him. Cautiously, she walked up to him to examine him further.

Before her eyes, Bendy's body started pulsating. Then it began to melt, his body mass shrinking in the process. Slowly but surely, the inky shell resembled more and more of the original demon form Jordy knew. He was still unconscious for a few seconds, before letting out a battered groan.

Jordy gasped. "Bendy?" She ran over in front of him and got on her knees. "Ben? Can you hear me?"

Bendy then slowly raised himself from the floor, a hand gripping onto the top of his head. **_"J ... Jordy? ... W-What ... what happened?"_ ** He looked around the room he was in. **_"I remember Joey gave us the cure for your arm and ... wait, did the cure work?"_ **

"Well..." Jordy rolled up her right sleeve, exposing her pale skin.

Bendy took a moment to look over her arm. **_"It worked ... the stupid old man's formula worked! It's gone!"_ ** He took her arm in his hands to look at it closely but stopped at her elbow. **_"Well ... most of it anyway..."_ **

Jordy looked down and noticed that there was a tiny dot at the center. Though similar in size, it was too dark to resemble one of her birthmarks. "Aww man," she mumbled with defeat. "I thought for sure drinking half of it would work."

**_"Wait ... half? What did you do with the other--"_ **

"IDIOT!!" Joey's voice interrupted. "Don't forget you're still _my_ property! I gave her the cure, and it worked. Now fulfill your end of the bargain and DO AS I SAY!!"

Jordy stood up upon hearing the old man's voice coming from the hallway. He was back in his wheelchair, scowling as he held the disc in his hand. It was Jordy's turn to be fed up with him. "You can't control him anymore!" she shouted, standing between Joey and Bendy. "I gave him the other half of my cure and now he's free from you! So leave him alone!"

Bendy was stunned by the girl’s heroism and sacrifice. **_“Jordy...”_ **

"Feh, ignorant girl! You think it's that easy?" Joey held the disc to his hand. "Kill her! KILL HER NOW!"

Bendy stood upright, pausing for a moment. He then walked past Jordy and towards Joey.

"D-Did you not hear me?!" Joey said nervously, wheeling his chair away from Bendy. When he collided with a wall behind him, he hastily hit his hand against the disc. “Why isn’t this stupid thing working?!”

Bendy slapped the disc out of Joey’s hand and it landed on the floor. Then he stomped on it with his foot.

Joey gasped. With the disc destroyed, the old man was at the mercy of the demon. "Y-You can't kill me! What would your little friend think? She's worked so hard to tame you. She wouldn't want you to kill someone again, right? Remember how traumatized she was when she saw you kill Susie?"

Jordy blinked at Joey's sudden beg. Though she knew what he was trying to do, the last thing she wanted was to see another life being taken in front of her. She approached Bendy and placed her hand on his. "Ben."

Bendy stopped himself once he heard Jordy. **_"Kid, you can't be serious!"_ ** He turned around to her. **_"After everything he's done? To you, me, everyone in this studio, Hell, probably everyone he's ever met! He's done unforgivable things! Things that would haunt you for the rest of your life!"_ ** He turned his body back towards Joey, but his head was still tilting to Jordy. **_"I know you want me to show mercy ... but this ... THING doesn't deserve any..."_ **

"I know he doesn't," Jordy replied firmly. "I’m not asking you to spare him.” She paused for a moment and sighed. “But I've seen more than enough deaths down here for one trip. I don't think I can stomach sitting through another one. So ... if you need to take care of him, please do so away from me." She removed her hand and gave him a softer look of reassurance. "That's all I ask."

Bendy hesitated, thinking her words through. Then he nodded and grabbed Joey by the collar of his shirt, lifting him from his chair. "What are you--?!"

Bendy slowly turned his head to Jordy. **_"Tom and Al are waiting outside of the Ink Machine. Go meet up with them, make sure they bring you back to the studio entrance."_ **

"Feh, that cornball plumber!" Joey spat out. "It's because of his horrid workmanship that you became the monster you are--" He was interrupted by a blotch of ink shooting from Bendy's shoulder, gagging him.

**_"Jordy ... get out of here. Live the life you're meant to live ... and...”_ ** Bendy smiled at her. **_“Thank you."_ **

"You're welcome," Jordy said, touched by Bendy's last words. "Thank _you_ for everything, Bendy the Dancing Demon." She ran out of the station to find the exit to the Ink Machine.

As Jordy left, Bendy dragged Joey back to his throne room. He tossed Joey with a strong enough force that the impact on the throne caused it to fall backward onto the floor. One of the projectors toppled over and its light shined on Bendy, his silhouette towering over Joey's. **_"Now ... what was that about me being some puppet to you, Drew?..."_ **

The old man groaned and pulled against the ink gagging his mouth. He ripped it off his skin, leaving a stinging red patch on his lips and some holes where bits of his mustache would be. He trembled as the Ink Demon glared down at him. He never thought he would be the one cowering in fear. He had it all. A company that was meant to thrive, ink that had abilities beyond imagining, and a creation that he was meant to call his own. But everything was collapsing right before him once again and it drove him mad. "Y-you can't do this!" Joey said, attempting to shimmy backward. "I created you! You're supposed to obey me! You think just because you met some girl who thinks you’re good means you get to throw away all that I worked so hard for?!" He let out a demented, breathy laugh. "Wow ... she really brainwashed you by getting your hopes up, didn’t she? Either that or you’re more stupid than I thought."

Bendy picked Joey up again, this time by his greasy throat. **_"Enough! I'm THROUGH listening to you! Being afraid of you!"_ ** The claws on his free hand extended. **_"You treated me like I was NOTHING! Well now, YOU'RE the one who's going to feel like nothing!"_ **

Joey gasped for air as Bendy lifted him by the throat. But before the demon could lay another finger on him, the old man reached into his coat and grabbed a pocket knife, plunging it into Bendy's chest.

Bendy gritted his teeth as the blade pierced his skin. He fought off the stinging pain long enough to finally cut into Joey’s gut with his clawed hand. His silhouette showed the hand traveling upward until it reached through Joey’s head, leaving the old man's upper body in four sections. As Bendy dropped Joey's body, he started to feel a bit woozy, stumbling onto the floor. He landed on his knees and started breathing heavily. There was a gaping hole inside his chest where Joey stabbed him and it left a burning smell that made him weak. His body then succumbed and fell to the floor. His vision went in and out as he struggled to lift his head. It was ironic, how much he feared death despite being the epitome of death itself. But knowing how much he endured during his journey, that he made a new friend who loved and accepted him, and that he helped to set her free, it became a welcoming embrace.

With his final breath, Bendy looked over to the dead Joey Drew, letting out what little laugh he could through his heavy breathing. **_"H-Heh heh ... g-good ... riddance..."_ **

He finally let his head fall onto the floor.


	39. The End

Al and Tom waited for what felt like hours for Bendy to come back with Jordy. The sounds of the ink flowing through the moat and the machine's mechanisms made Al feel tense. She wished they had gone in, both to speed up the rescue and to ensure that Jordy would be alright.

Her moment of worry soon vanished when she saw someone come out of the Ink Machine. "Tom, look!" she said, pointing her finger as she stood up.

Out in the studio's light was the young girl herself, drenched in ink, but unharmed. She waved at Al and Tom from across. "Hey, guys!"

"Jordy!" Tom called out, getting up from the box he was sitting on. "Are you alright? Where's Bendy?"

"I'm fine! Bendy's taking care of Joey as we speak! He asked me to find you guys so you can take me back up!"

"Well, good thing we went back for that door after all," Al said. She went over to the spot where she and Tom placed the door that Bendy broke down. Her fingers latched to one side. "Ready, Tom?"

"Lead the way, Al," Tom responded as he grabbed and lifted the other end of the door. He followed Al with the door to the edge of the moat.

With a grunt or two, Al gently placed it into the ink and pushed it across so Jordy could reach it. "There you go, sweetie! Walk on!"

"Thanks!" Jordy replied, stepping her ink-stained sneaker onto the door. She casually walked on it like a bridge until she reached the other side. She then hugged Al and Tom individually. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you guys!"

"We’re just glad you made it out safely," Tom replied as he hugged Jordy. "How are you feeling right now? Do you need a minute to rest before we take you out of here?"

"No, I think I'm fine. Just need to make sure I have everything." Jordy reached into her pockets to check her contents. Her phone nearly slipped out as she reached for it. "Whoops!"

Al couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like you got a lot of stuff in there, huh?"

"Yeah ... my purse got destroyed while I was in the machine. I'll have to get a new one s--" Jordy cut herself off when she realized something was missing. "Oh crap, my wallet!"

"Guess it’s somewhere back in the Ink Machine," Tom said. "Although you might wanna wait until Bendy finishes dealing with Joey."

Jordy looked back at the machine's entrance anxiously. "I'd rather get it now so I know no one stole it."

"Then we'll go in with you," Al replied. "No way in Hell we're leaving you alone again."

Jordy smiled with relief. "Thanks, guys. This way." She turned around and dashed back inside.

As they went through the bowels on the Ink Machine, Tom noticed what appeared to be damages from a fight throughout the halls. "I guess Bendy had another of his tantrums down here?"

"Eh ... sort of?" Jordy responded hesitantly, searching the floor. "It's a long story."

"Well, so long as you weren’t involved in that mess, that’s all that matters," Al said.

_I wouldn't say that..._ Jordy thought to herself, not wanting to tell Al and Tom about Bendy turning into a giant beast and throwing her around everywhere. Soon enough, she came to the section where Bendy tore her purse. Laying on the ground was a magenta-colored wallet with Jordy's permit facing up. The girl ran to it, picked it up, and unzipped it to check if her cash and debit card were still in there. "Oh, thank God," she sighed with relief as she zipped it back up.

Tom took his eyes off Jordy for a second to scan the immediate area, to make sure there were no looming threats. His gaze was then drawn to a corridor, leading to the throne room. "Huh, I don't remember that room being here..."

Al turned her attention to Tom’s direction, taking notice of the throne room. She walked closer and took a peek inside. And what she saw before her made her feel sick. "Oh, God!"

"What?" Jordy asked with concern. "What is it?" She looked over Al and Tom's shoulders, noticing a discarded projector head on the floor with its light shining on the wall adjacent from it as well as the throne Joey sat on toppled over. She briefly caught a glance of blood and a hand on the ground before she averted her gaze. On her left laid the corpse of the Ink Demon himself. Terror washed over her and she ran to him. "BENDY!!"

"What the Sam Hill happened to him?" Tom asked, horrified. He walked forward to the corpse and gently nudged it.

Al looked around the room until she spotted Joey's knife lying right beside the old man’s body. She picked it up and held it close to her face. She picked up a pungent odor that made her recoil and dropped it on the ground. "Acetone..."

The moment Al said this, Jordy noticed the gaping hole in Bendy's chest, which oozed with ink. "Oh, no … no no NO NO!!" She panicked as she took off her jacket, bringing it to his wound to try to stop the bleeding. "We need to help him!"

Tom knelt next to Jordy. "I'm sorry, hun. But it doesn't look like there's much we can do for a cut this deep."

"But there has to be! I won't let him die like this! He needs--"

"Jordy." Al, too, brought herself down next to the girl, putting her hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry ... but it's too late. Look at him. He's not even breathing."

Jordy looked back at Bendy's body. There was no sign of movement at all. She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't. Her head shook furiously in denial as she brought her ear closer to his chest.

"Careful there!" Tom said cautiously. "There might still be some acetone on his wound."

Jordy waited anxiously for a heartbeat. But nothing came. Bendy's lifeless body remained cold and motionless.

"No..." Jordy lifted her head, examining the demon's expressionless face. Grief overwhelmed her the more she looked at him. Eventually, she slumped down and threw her arms around him, crying hysterically.

Al wanted to embrace Jordy for comfort. But knowing how much pain she was in, she held back. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Tom, feeling sorrow for the loss of their friend.

Tom returned Al's embrace, equally unsure of how to help Jordy feel better. Then his ears perked up. "Wait a minute ... something's happening..."

Jordy felt a weird sensation in her arm. Like something was leaving her veins being transferred from her hand. She looked up and saw Bendy's body pulsate and bubble. She stood back and watched as his wound instantly healed. Afterward, he started melting into a black inky puddle. However, the husk of a corpse shrunk down into something much smaller. As the form took shape, Bendy now resembled the more cartoony design he was meant to emulate. 

“No way…” Al muttered in awe.

Jordy looked down at her arm, eyes wide. The last drop of ink that remained on her elbow was gone.

Bendy let out a drowsy groan before pulling himself awake. "Wh … what happened?"

"Bendy…?" Jordy inched closer to the demon carefully. "Is it ... really you?"

Bendy turned to the girl once he heard her voice. "Huh ... Jordy? What are you still doing here? I thought I told you to go with--" He gestured towards Al and Tom as he talked, but interrupted himself once he saw his hand. He stood up and took a look at his new form, taking in what he had become. "Wait ... I'm ... am I the real...?"

Jordy sniffled and nodded, taking her phone out of her jacket to show him his reflection. "Look!"

Bendy looked into her phone and saw his reflection, touching his face. "...I AM,” he said, grinning wide. “I somehow turned into the real Bendy!"

"Yeah ... I'm questioning how that happened, too," Al said, amazed by Bendy's new form.

"I still had a bit of ink poisoning left in my arm after I drank the cure," Jordy explained, showing off her bare arm. "But instead of draining Bendy's ink ... it healed him."

Bendy placed his hands on Jordy's arm as he examined it. “Huh … well, whaddya know?”

"I'm guessing the acetone burnt out the corrosive ink that twisted Bendy into what he was," Tom said.

"Guess so," Al agreed. She was still impressed by how much Bendy had changed. “Consider it a miracle.”

Jordy brought her free hand to Bendy's face. "Ben ... I'm so glad you're okay." Tears streamed from her face. "I-I thought I lost you. I--"

Before Jordy could finish her sentence, Bendy jumped onto her and wrapped his arms around her neck in a loving embrace. His laughter echoed throughout the somber Ink Machine. "I'm the actual Bendy now! I'm not some disfigured monster anymore!" He then jumped off from Jordy and landed on his feet in front of her. "And look! I bet I can do all the things the real Bendy could do!" He then began tapdancing in a small circle in front of his friends. Tom couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle at the cute little sight.

Al just smiled, happy that Bendy got to be the character he always wanted to be.

Jordy laughed and clapped her hands at Bendy's performance. "That's great, Ben!" she said, standing up to join him. She paid close attention to how his feet tapped and skipped, mimicking them in sync.

"Hey, you ain't half bad, kiddo!" Bendy said, seeing Jordy imitating his moves. "But can you do THIS?" He then began doing some more rapid speed movements with his feet and ending with a split. He then grabbed himself by the bow tie and lifted himself back up to his feet.

Jordy snorted. "Show off."

Al chuckled and stood herself up. "Well, now that we got that out of the way, how about we finally head out of this machine?"

"She's right," Tom added. "I think we've been in this hellhole long enough."

"Oh, yeah yeah sure," Bendy said as he stopped. "Uh ... mind giving me one more moment? Just to, uh, recollect?"

"I suppose so," Al said, gesturing Tom over to exit the throne room.

"Do you want me to leave, too?" Jordy asked sincerely.

"Eh, not unless you wanna stick around," Bendy replied.

"Well, just shout when you're done," Tom said, following Al.

Jordy decided to glance back at the demon for one more moment. Then she walked away to leave him alone.

Bendy took a few steps towards the remains of Joey Drew, looking down at his old master and what he became. "Ya know, this is exactly what you wanted, wasn't it? The _real_ Bendy the Dancing Demon, going out into the world and charming audiences of all ages. I'm gonna be a big star, and people are gonna adore me. I'm ... I know it sounds crazy, given what all you've done to me ... done to a lot of us, but ... I'm honestly kind of sad you won't be able to see it..."

Jordy leaned herself back against the wall, listening in on Bendy's farewell speech to Joey. Though it was a little strange, she couldn't help but find it bittersweet.

Al let out a sigh. "So ... he was the real deal all along," she said to the others. "And we didn't even know it. Who would've thought?"

"I _knew_ I didn't do anything wrong with the plumbing for this Godforsaken contraption!" Tom exclaimed. "I guess Joey must have mucked with it, to try and 'improve' it. Feh, looks like I won't be able to rub it in his face now."

Within seconds, Bendy walked back out of the throne room and to his friends. "So ... are we ready to leave this place for good?"

Jordy nodded as she straightened herself. "I think so." She turned to Al and Tom. "Care to lead the way?"

"Of course," Al said confidently. Tom walked alongside her as she led the way out. 

Bendy turned to Jordy and grabbed her hand. "Thank you again ... for being my friend."

Jordy turned to Bendy, smiling down at him. "You're welcome. Thank you for being mine." She interlaced her fingers around his and escorted him down the hall, leaving the throne room and the studio behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be fooled, ladies and gentlemen! There's still one more chapter left before we conclude this story for good! Stay tuned!


	40. The Aftermath

What happened next was rather unusual. Jordy’s eyes fluttered open, her face on the hardwood floor. She sat up on her knees, her brain adjusting to her surroundings. There was a table with an old clock and a sign-in book. Various character posters hung on the walls. And right beside Jordy was the flyer she received for the workshop. The girl picked it up and held it to her face, tilting her head in confusion. She was back at the main lobby of Joey Drew Studios. But the question was how?

Jordy had no memory of how she got here. She didn’t recall passing out or even putting her jacket back on. Even her purse was with her, restored to normal. She rolled up her sleeve to check her arm. It was as clear as day, not a trace of ink whatsoever. Come to think of it, her whole body remained untouched of the black liquid.

_Was it all a dream…?_ Jordy wondered. Getting up on her feet, she looked over the hallway, staring at the shadowed entryway. “Hello? Anyone here?” Her voice echoed the empty walls. “Al? Tom?” Her voice faltered in calling out the last name. “...Bendy?”

Alas, no one had answered her. She was all alone. Accepting her loss, Jordy sighed and stepped outside the studio door. It was warm and sunny outside. She smiled as the gentle wind blew on her face. It felt much more refreshing than being trapped inside a dusty old studio. She would never walk away from it again.

Suddenly, a vibration from her purse caught her attention. She opened it and found her phone ringing persistently. She took it out and read the caller ID. ‘Mom.’ Without further hesitation, she swiped right and held the device up to her ear. “Hey, Mom,” Jordy greeted enthusiastically. She paused as her mother spoke to her. “No, I didn’t get your text. I’m sorry. There wasn’t any good reception in that old building.” Another pause. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try stepping outside next time. Sorry if I worried you.” Jordy hesitated before continuing. “By the way … about that internship … I don’t think it’s gonna work out.” Pause. “Yeah, it’s just not all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s okay, though. Glad I at least got to see it.” A sentimental smile crept up her face. “Mmhmm. I’m ready to come home. I’ll be right outside the building. Love you, Mom. Bye.” Her finger gently tapped on the big red button, cutting off the connection.

* * *

As soon as Jordy arrived back home, everyone greeted her with ‘hellos’ and embraces. Even her niece was visiting and gave her the biggest hug. When asked about the workshop, she simply answered that it was a letdown. She never once brought up passing out or the Hell that she went through in her dream. Both because they’d think of her as crazy and because she wasn’t even sure if any of it was a dream. From meeting Bendy to nearly drowning in ink, it all felt so real. Part of her wanted to believe it given how genuine their friendship felt. But it was time for her to face the fact that cartoons were better left drawn on paper, not in reality.

Jordy excused herself from the kitchen to head to the comfort of her bedroom. She carried her weight up the stairs and through the cluttered hallway. The moment she opened her bedroom door, she fell face-down on her bed, letting out a heavy sigh. She was exhausted physically and mentally. She needed something to make her content. Getting up, she hung her purse on the doorknob and walked over to her desk. Her laptop remained untouched since she left. It always felt odd whenever she broke her everyday routine of using it. She opened it up and logged in to the home screen.

After checking through her social media and email, Jordy clicked on the familiar purple icon. She watched as the mascot spun its head around during the loading screen. Then came a wave of notifications from the servers she took part in. Including one that had a red number one marked on it. She clicked on it first and saw her name in the tag. _‘Thought maybe you would like this,’_ her friend typed, linking a video that she had never seen before. Curious, she hovered her mouse over the play button and pressed it.

The music sounded vintage with filtered trumpet fanfares. There were slides with words that said ‘THIS FALL, A NEW FACE IN ANIMATION COMES TO LIFE!’ As soon as the ‘GET READY FOR--’ tagline vanished, Jordy’s eyes jaw dropped. On the screen, dancing his little heart out under the spotlight was the Devil Darling himself. She smiled and clapped, happy to see his face once again.

One would call it coincidental that the character Jordy dreamed of would appear on the screen. But to her, it was fate. And she was glad knowing that Bendy got to leave with the happy ending he always wanted.

As the video finished, Bendy turned to the camera with a surprised expression. Then, to her astonishment, he smiled and said, “Heh … glad to see you, old friend.” Then he winked, letting the black screen enclose him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the story is finally finished! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this!
> 
> This was something I started a couple of years back and didn't think I would be able to continue it. It's incredible how far I was able to come with this story and that a lot of people enjoyed it. It really means a lot.
> 
> Also, I want to give a huge thank you to my friend, HyperVoiceActing, for sticking around to help me finish this story. He's not only a great writer but an amazing voice actor and artist and I recommend you check him out!
> 
> Lastly, if you have any questions that you want me to answer, you can ask me on my Tumblr blog, beyond-the-ebony-depths. I will try to answer them when I can.
> 
> Once again, thank you all for reading and until next time, have yourself a good day/evening!


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